Take My Hand
by Infinity3
Summary: Coming back to school after Winter Break, Seto and Joey discover that their new schedules aren't exactly what they hoped for. On top of that, they're being forced to work together again! What is WITH these teachers?! Sequel to Freak of Nature Documentary.
1. Reflections

Doesn't have much to do with the story; the prologue is mainly to set the mood, and give some insight. ^_^ I don't own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh charas, but I DO own Seto's journal and the school faculty that I make up. I'm also considering taking a couple story requests if anybody wants them, since I'm bored and want to distract myself from upcoming finals.... 0_0;; So if you trust me enough to not screw it up, you can give me your request and e-mail name, so we can talk! =) Can't guarantee how quickly it'll come out, though....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
What is this thing called love?  
  
In movies, a man and a woman meet, are instantly attracted to each other, and by the time the hour is over and the credits roll, have declared their undying love for each other and made out. In fairy tales, lovers find each other through unlikely and fantastic means, to stay together in untainted bliss until the end of their days, and live happily ever after. In stories, the lovers are the main characters, who very quickly find and fall in love with each other, only to be torn apart, usually by a jealous acquaintance. Within a few hundred pages, they overcome the problem, are reunited, and have a steamy bedroom scene that can last for as long as 50 pages or more, if the writer is talented enough.  
  
And though they may not seem very similar, or perhaps, to some eyes, not very different at all, there is usually but a single thread that ties these all together. True love. Love at first sight. As Romeo says, "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." That's all well and good in stories, but what is love like in real life?  
  
Some people believe in true love, that there's only one person out there who could be their soulmate. Some people believe in love at first sight, that the bond is formed the minute you look at that special someone, and just know they're the one.  
  
Well, some people might, but I don't.  
  
We're all born with half a heart. A heart, gruesomely torn down the middle, and we receive one of those jagged halves. Who gets that other half, your special someone? Maybe. Maybe not. Honestly, there isn't a special someone. There never is. There isn't such a thing as love at first sight, either. We obviously need an entire heart to make us whole, don't we? And understandably, that other half needs to fit in precisely with our own, and fill in every nook and cranny that the jagged pieces leave. Love at first sight would be finding someone who's half heart slips neatly into place with your own, a perfect fit, on the very first try. Nobody's half heart can fit your own so precisely when you first meet them. It's impossible. Even if it could happen, the chances of you actually finding that person would be astronomical.  
  
No, you've just got to take any half heart you can get. You have to spend time with the person, get to know them for a while, do things together. And when you do things with people, your hearts rub together, you see, and grind away at each other's sharp pieces. And after a while, if it works out, your half hearts' will have worn away some of each other's odd edges. If you've been together long enough, there will have been enough time to have worn each other's half hearts down so well that they slip together, a perfect fit, and form a single, united whole.  
  
You are complete.  
  
And that is love.  
  
But as perfectly as they fit together, any minute imperfection can endanger the wellbeing of that love, threaten to make the other half heart break away from your own. Love hurts. Life is hard. Life will do the very best it can to hit you where it hurts, to fracture your heart and mind, body and soul. If it cracks your heart badly enough, then your half heart will be separated from the other, and you'll have to go through the process all over again, like breaking in a pair of shoes. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it's a lost cause. You have to be strong enough to resist all of those blows, to keep your heart from shattering, and be able to let your other half do the rest.  
  
That's why I'm never going to fall in love.  
  
Love takes strength. Love takes trust. Love takes courage. I don't have any of those things.  
  
I've already had my heart shattered before. Several times, in fact. And each time, I've gathered it up again, piece by painful piece, and tried to put it back together. And once I finally manage it.... well, life goes on. It's got such a different shape that I can barely recognize it anymore. Sure, the outside looks mostly the same; it might have some nicks and cracks, a few scratches and dents to show the rough treatment, but it's the inside that really counts when it comes to these things. And the inside.... well, it's so wildly different that sometimes even I wonder what's happened to me. I don't know myself anymore.  
  
Neither does anyone else. I won't let them.  
  
The only person who might come close is Mokuba. Mokuba, my light and my life, my anchor and guide.... Even you don't know me anymore. I've just changed too much, too fast. And as smart as you are, even you can't navigate all the twists and turns of the events that have made me who I am. I tried to stay the same for you, heaven knows I have, but times change. So do I. And so do you.  
  
I can follow your changes. It's so easy, compared to tracing my own... I can easily see who you've once been in who are. Stay that way, Mokuba. Keep being the brother I know and love; you're the only thing I ever will.  
  
I'd like to fall in love, for you. If I did, you'd have another, surrogate sibling, in addition to me. Maybe someone to act like the parents you never really had. You'd get the attention that I'm sometimes too busy to give you, the attention you deserve. But then again, if I did fall in love, would I have enough time for either of you? I might just end up making two people miserable, instead of one. I never wanted to hurt anybody...  
  
So that settles it, then. I guess I won't ever try to love. I already-- and will continue to-- hold my half heart near as can be, to protect it. I shut myself away from other people. I'm afraid of trying to wear my heart down to fit with somebody else's. If I let anyone get too close... well, somebody ends up getting hurt. Them, me, sometimes both. I can take it; I just can't take having somebody else needing to.  
  
I'll stay alone, stay jagged. That's just the way it has to be. I'll never be complete. It doesn't matter though; I never have been, anyway. Sometimes, though, I just wonder... is it truly better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?  
  
~ Excerpt from the journal of Seto Kaiba 


	2. Twisted Perfection

Yay, here's another one. I wrote this one really late at night, so it probably sucks beyond belief.... anyway! Sorry that not much happens here. ^^;; I'll try to get to the action next chapter, I promise!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was time for school again, and Seto was sitting quietly at the desk in his room, enjoying the spectacular sunrise from the large window. It was a Monday, and time to go back to school. They'd spent a surprising amount of time together, that Winter Break. Surprising to themselves, at least; shocking to others.  
  
And why wouldn't it be? They were as different as night and day. They clashed, roared, fought like cats in a sack.  
  
Moreover, that was the way they liked it.  
  
Or the way HE liked it; he wasn't sure if Joey enjoyed it or not. He didn't seem to.  
  
They did mundane things together, usually. Watch a movie, go to the mall, duel occasionally. Joey told him that it was an 'educational experience', and apparently wanted him to learn something from these excursions. Specifically, learn how to be human. After all, he had asked to learn, hadn't he?  
  
The sad thing was, he'd only been halfway joking. He really did want to know.  
  
It didn't seem like too much, really. Joey made it seem like interacting with people was the key thing, and he did that often enough. For goodness sake, he interacted with Joey himself often enough, but he was fairly sure that the boy didn't consider him human, even now. They did things together more or less agreeably, sure; they could tolerate each other, in small increments. They even had some bland conversations.  
  
But what they did best, and did most often, was argue.  
  
Bicker, bicker, bicker, back and forth and back again. The banter seldom ceased. Seto was a natural at it; he rather liked having a verbal sparring partner, even one who seemed to be too inept to nettle him most of the time. It was better than nothing; he had nothing to argue about with Mokuba, except in play. That was fun enough. But there was a strange, almost sadistic delight for him in pushing Joey's buttons, a cruel practice that he'd shudder to think of ever doing to Mokuba.  
  
Push him, push him, push him harder. Harder and harder, farther and farther, just to see how he responded and why. It was fascinating. Would he fight back, or submit? Would he bend, or break? Would he be riled or calm? Why, why, why? He really did want to know. He wanted to know how humans responded to things like this. How puppy dogs responded too, because that's what Joey was like, sometimes. Sometimes, he wasn't like a human.  
  
Well, neither was he. Only, for him, it was permanent.  
  
He could push Joey, just push and push, and only occasionally be pushed back. Joey wasn't a delicate crystal figurine. He wasn't a pane of glass. He was a pliable, whippy willow switch, flexible and firm, with just enough give to him to ensure that he'd produce a strong lash once it finally did come. He had to pull back to go on the offensive, like snapping a whip. A preparation, letting the anger fuel the attack. He cracked at the air, more bark than bite, thankfully. Judging by his bluster, if his bite was as big as his bark, then Seto knew he would've been reduced to shreds long before now.  
  
But no, he always fell short. Joey just never managed to give him any lasting hurts, whereas the puppy liked to lick his wounds after each contest of wits. He could almost pity him. As a matter of fact, he did sort of pity him. And that made Joey even madder, since he only spoke of it in jest.  
  
How would Joey feel if he knew it were true? What if he were to speak the words in all seriousness? How would he react to his implacable master throwing him a bone?  
  
Master? It rather amused him to think of the boy as a pet, and he, the master. After all, that did seem to be the way their encounters went; Seto was always, ALWAYS on top. And that was the way it would ALWAYS be. Because he liked being the master. Because he HAD to be the master. There was no other choice, for him; not that he would accept. He'd been the pet, once....  
  
He HAD to be the master. There was just no other way for him to be.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Long fingers deftly opened the envelope, shaking out it's contents as long legs carried them towards the school building with unhurried strides. Calm blue eyes surveyed the list, and soon became stormy. "Mutt."  
  
"Yeah?" The blonde raised his head with an annoyed look, having just torn open his own envelope. They were going in together, as they were wont to do, these days.  
  
"Give me your schedule for a minute." The voice was calm, and a little imperious.  
  
"Why should I?" Joey demanded  
  
"Just do it." Without waiting for a response, Seto plucked the sheet from Joey's hands, blue eyes narrowing as he hissed in displeasure.  
  
Joey blinked, yet again minorly weirded out. It was strange, the way that Seto acted sometimes. Feline, almost. If the taller man had possessed a tail, it would have been lashing, then. "What? What IS it, already?" He tried to look on.  
  
Seto handed him back his schedule. "Basic Drama and Theatrics. With _you_."  
  
"You've gotta be kidding me!" He looked at the schedule, groaning. "No way! I SO did not sign up for that class..."  
  
"Neither did I, pooch. It's one of the standard overflow classes, though, for when other electives get too full."  
  
"I still refuse to believe that Intramural Basketball is full."  
  
"Tough luck, pup. You _do_ have to try out for positions on teams like those. I'd signed up for a Business course, myself."  
  
Joey stared at him for a moment, goggle-eyed, before starting to laugh. "You? Taking a business class? Everybody knows that you could _teach_ one of those things!"  
  
"Continued education, mutt." Seto smirked. "Not having it implies that I'm not good at my job. Sort of like you actually making that basketball class would have implied that you had actual talent."  
  
"I do too have talent!" Joey was fuming, now.  
  
"Prove it." The words were crisp and clear. Simple. One of the things they'd done over the break was play basketball, 1 on 1.  
  
"Fine!" Joey apparently didn't care that he'd lost every single game he'd been in against the blue-eyed perfectionist. What mattered was that a couple of the matches had been close enough to give him hope.  
  
"Go ahead, then. We can set up an appointment later." Seto shrugged his bookbag into a more comfortable position on his back.  
  
"Can't you ever do anything without that stupid appointment book of yours? I doubt you even know the meaning of spontaneity. You're more boring than.... I dunno. More boring than bread and water. There is no LIMIT to your boringness. You are the _epitome_ of boredom. All must bow down." Joey said, somewhat snidely.  
  
Seto sighed, the perfect image of a patient, long-suffering soul, with just a hint of wry humor to it. "Ooh, such a large word, pup. Can you handle it? And spontaneity implies acting without prior planning; that's impossible when you're as busy as I am. I DO have a life, you know, unlike yourself."  
  
Joey growled. "Stuff it, Scrooge."  
  
"That's Mr. Scrooge, to you."  
  
"Fine, MR. Scrooge."  
  
"Much better. Show some respect, mongrel."  
  
"I'm NOT a mongrel!"  
  
"Don't be in denial."  
  
"You're the one who's in denial."  
  
"What have I possibly got to deny?"  
  
"That I'm a smart, cool, funny, responsible, respectable, nice, loveable, friendly, and all around AWESOME guy." Joey gushed, grinning lopsidedly. "You just don't have the heart to admit it, because you're _jealous_ of me and my natural perfection."  
  
Seto put on a stunned look, clasped his hands, widened his eyes, and tweaked his voice into a semblance of authenticity. "Oh, YES, Joey! You've read my deepest, darkest, innermost secrets! I was so afraid to tell you; I thought you might laugh at me! I would like to tell you how I've humbly worshipped your shining person in secret, how I bask in the radiance of your wholesomely perfect glow, how I.... did you mention _modest_, by any chance?" He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey, yeah! Thanks for reminding me. I'm modest too, aren't I? And I never knew you liked me so much, Kaiba." He winked saucily. "I was thinking you might wanna make me your mentor or something. After all, I _am_ naturally perfect, and you're only artificially perfect; you've really gotta work to keep it up."  
  
"You have no idea." Seto responded dryly. That had become a catch phrase for him or something, hadn't it?  
  
Honestly though, the last words couldn't be closer to the truth. Couldn't be farther, either. It was a constant struggle to maintain his lofty facade. He always wore a mask, it seemed. Hurrying to paint over any cracks that might appear in this psychological armor. And yet....  
  
How much more of a struggle would it be to NOT wear his guise of perfection? How would people see him, if he showed them who he truly was? Not the Seto Kaiba they knew, the 16 year old boy genius, CEO, model student who seemed to go through life on ice. Not the supernaturally calm Seto Kaiba, always ready with a snappy remark and stinging rebuke for any that so much as attempted to cross him.  
  
How would they like Seto Kaiba, the 16 year old kid? How would they react at seeing Seto Kaiba, the brother, in his entirety? Last semester, they'd seen a glimpse of him on video, seen that side of him for just a moment. But that wasn't all. Not by any means.  
  
No. Even that hadn't been him. It'd been a demi-him, a hybrid of who he was and who he had once been, unwillingly forced together, creating a superbly uncomfortable creation of ruthlessness and tenderness, cruelty and kindness, coldness and warmth. Poor Mokuba had known who he once was, knew how he was now. That hadn't been either.  
  
Not who he once was. Not who he was. Not who he should have been.  
  
Who were they? He didn't know.  
  
Who was he? He didn't know either.  
  
Gods above, he was so confused.....  
  
It was one of those moments where he would have liked nothing better than curling up on the couch with his journal beside an open window, just relaxing and letting himself become absorbed in inner thought. A moment where he would have liked nothing better than to bury himself under the blankets in his bed, clutch a pillow to his chest, sob brokenly, and taste his own bitter tears. It was one of those moments where he would have liked nothing better than to let an all encompassing rage consume him, and simply DESTROY something, obliterate it so completely and utterly that not even it's ashes remained, to feel raw power at his beck and call, and be in total control. A moment where he would have liked nothing better than to collapse, and become totally, fully submissive, and let other people do everything while he retreated into himself, got away from it all.  
  
.....No, that didn't make very much sense to him, either.  
  
What did he really want?  
  
What he really wanted, was to know what he really wanted. What he really wanted, was to know who and what he was. What he really wanted....  
  
Seto realized they'd been standing there for a minute too long, and roughly grabbed Joey by the collar of his jacket, leveling an irritated glare at him and more or less dragging the poor, bewildered boy towards the school doors. "Stop acting like an idiot, mutt. We're going to be late." In times of better humor, he might've added something along the lines of, "Not that you have to act....", but this wasn't exactly one of those times.  
  
Joey just whimpered a little, glaring back and dragging his heels to try and regain the 'privilege' of walking without being hauled around. Geez, touchy.... Why was he so moody, anyhow? Maybe it was 'his time of the month', if that were possible. The thought made him snicker. But still... "...What'd I do?" 


	3. Days of Myth and Crossdressing

Whee-hey. -_-;; There's an AP Exam on Monday, so I _really_ should be studying instead of writing this.... *sigh* Oh well, I'm a bad girl. Irresponsible me... XP I know this chapter sucks worse than it should, since I need to get back down and study, but I DID wanna write something this weekend.... So pardon the low-quality chapter. I get out on May 28 (YAAY!!! ^___^), so once summer starts, I'll be writing stuff that's a lot better, and writing it a lot faster. Hopefully....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The class assembled in the auditorium, rather than a conventional classroom; The students simply left their backpacks in the first few rows of seats, and went to sit on the floor of the stage in front of the teacher, who'd dragged a chair up there for herself. "I'd say welcome back to school, but I don't think anybody finds it very welcome, do they?" She waved a hand dismissively. "At any rate, this is Basic Drama and Theatrics, a one semester course, and I'm your teacher, Ms. Paten. You can call me Ms. P if you want."  
  
She looked over the group, and pointed at random. "You, there. What's your name?"  
  
"Me?" Yugi tilted his head. "My name's Y--"  
  
"Wait." She cut him off, and pointed to the opposite end of the stage. "Go stand over there, and tell us."  
  
"Okay..." Somewhat confused, Yugi followed her directions, shifting uncomfortably at all of the eyes staring at him. He'd taken this class to try and get rid of his stage fright... "I-I'm Yugi Motou."  
  
"What's that?" The teacher leaned forward a little at his quiet voice. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Yumi Sotou."  
  
Yugi blushed, speaking up a little louder. "I said, I'm Yugi Motou."  
  
"I'm terribly sorry." She smiled. "I must not have heard you right. Let me change that." She picked up her roll sheet. "Yuli Kotou, yes?"  
  
"N-no..." He shook his head, redder than before as he heard a few other students chuckle.  
  
She smiled brightly, and walked over, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You can go sit down now, Yugi." She shooed him back towards the group. "Now, for your first lesson today, we'll have two people to demonstrate. Yugi was the first. One of the most important things you can learn about public speaking, is _projection_!" She hardly raised her voice for the last word, but the stage rang with it. "If you don't project your voice, or forget to enunciate, nobody can tell what you said." Ms. P informed them, purposely slurring the last couple words. "You, there, can you demonstrate good projection and enunciation for us?"  
  
Seto rose languidly, and went to stand where Yugi had been, fixing his eyes on the general crowd. He spoke before others enough to where his voice automatically strengthened whenever he needed to be heard. He commanded the attention without even thinking about it. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones..."  
  
Ms. P nodded, smiling slightly at the quoting he'd done. "Excellent, Anthony. Might we know your name?"  
  
"Seto Kaiba." He sat back down. Was this all they were going to do? This class would be a total waste of his time...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Alright, pay attention now." She broke the students out of the hum of conversation they'd fallen into. "I don't like to impose too much on my students, but I do have something. And just because I'm _so_ nice," Here, the teacher smirked. "I'm giving you the entire semester to work on it. _But_, it won't take up all of our class time. I'll give you the last few minutes of each period to work on it. You're going to each select a slip of paper with a type of play on it. It might be a genre, or a country, or a playwright. You need to get together with everyone who has the same one as you, and make up a play, based on the parameters of whatever you picked. Okay? Now everybody get in line." She held up a fancy top hat, the sort that magicians used, with a few scraps of paper in the bottom. There were only 10 people in the class, after all....  
  
"Oh, and I'll be the narrator for all of you." Ms. P added. "Because I doubt any of you will have enough people to spare somebody to do the job." She waited until the hat was empty, and dropped it back onto the floor, watching them seeking out their newest partners.  
  
Joey looked at his paper, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Mythology. What's that supposed to tell us, anyhow?" He looked around. "Hey, has anybody else got Mythology?"  
  
Yugi passed him by, shaking his head apologetically. "Sorry."  
  
"That would be me." Seto glided over, looking thoroughly displeased. "You again. Have we got a third party this time?"  
  
Joey looked around. Everybody seemed to have found their groups.... "Nope."  
  
"Damn." Seto looked disappointed. "That limits our options."  
  
"What're we gonna do, anyhow?" Joey looked down at his paper again. "Myths were about those gods and stuff, right?"  
  
"That's right." Seto nodded. "More specifically, most plays about mythology catered to the Greek or Roman gods, which were basically the same things, only with different names."  
  
"Gee, won't this be a blast?" Joey rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh, definitely." Seto resisted the urge to snort. "You don't know how to speak Elizabethan English, do you?"  
  
"You mean that old sort like they make us read in English class? Of course not." Joey raised an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
"That was the sort of speech they used; we'll have to use it too."  
  
"Oh, gimme a break...."  
  
"I'll check out a book or two on it." Seto didn't sound too concerned. "If you don't count the expressions, it's not that different, anyhow."  
  
"Hey... what can we do with only two people, anyhow?"  
  
Seto sighed, and raised his eyes to the ceiling in thought, as though beseeching the ancient gods to come down and help him. "Fights usually center around something else, a third thing...." He frowned. "As do most myths with moral lessons. The only thing that we might be able to pull off is a love story...."  
  
"A _love story_?!" Joey looked disgusted at the thought. "But...."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But wouldn't that be incest?"  
  
"They only married among the family." Seto pointed out. "So it couldn't be helped. They did have plenty of affairs with mortals, although I think the stories of all the constellations have been taken."  
  
"Your point being....?"  
  
"That we need to come up with an incestuous pair, and think of what might possibly come of it."  
  
"Yuck." Joey just shook his head. "Who could we do?"  
  
"Hmmm...." Seto mused over the ones he knew in his head. "Can't do Zeus, Hades, or Hephaestus, I believe they're already more-or-less hitched, when it comes to immortal partners."  
  
"Yeah? What about that... um... sun dude? Apollo?"  
  
Seto nodded. "I think he's free. We can branch off from there."  
  
"Hey.... how're we gonna play the girl?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, typically, they took young, beardless men, stuck them in a dress, and made them speak in falsett--" Seto noticed Joey's sudden smirk. "Don't even THINK about it, mutt."  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Setina!" He laughed. "I'm look just like the guy. I'm _perfect_ for that role. So YOU are going to be left squeaking."  
  
"Joey..." Seto glared. "I am NOT going to crossdress."  
  
"We'll see about that." Joey was obviously loving every minute of this. "But you can try and find somebody who didn't wear a dress, if you want."  
  
Seto spent a minute thinking through the goddesses. "Artemis." He said finally. "Goddess of the moon and the hunt. Twin sister to Apollo."  
  
"...That's even more disturbing than the original idea."  
  
"They're supposed to represent the dual nature of things." Seto shrugged. "And they're well suited for each other for that, I'd suppose. And logically, the sun and moon together would be an eclipse, so we've got the point of this thing in the bag."  
  
"If you say so." He just shook his head. "This is so weird...."  
  
"Suck it up. At least YOU don't have to be a girl." .;  
  
Joey snickered. "Sorry, _Setina_, but we both know you'll make SUCH an adorable girl...."  
  
"Did you know that Artemis was in the habit of telling her pack of hunting hounds to tear apart anybody that displeased her?"  
  
"No...." O_o;  
  
"A fitting fate for a mongrel like you."  
  
"Girly man."  
  
"Mangy mutt."  
  
"Mr. Moneybags."  
  
The bell rang. Seto picked up his briefcase and bookbag. "Be a good little puppy, and do some research for your role. And start once you get home; I know how much it kills you to be productive." 


	4. Picture Perfect 1 of 2

I'm FINALLY back! It's summertime! *Dances* And because of that, I've got enough time to write now, so expect updates to be much faster than they have been! ^__^ Probably not the best way to start off the summer, I think I'm starting to lose my touch with writing this.... *Sigh* You guys agree, right?  
  
Also, I'm considering writing more for "Be Mine, Valentine", although it's _supposed_ to be a one-shot. Does anybody like the ambiguous ending? I'm probably not going to write anything more on it, but feel free to voice your opinions on that, including what pairings/love polygons you think it should end up with.  
  
But now, without further ado, on with the story!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Alright everyone, we're going to really start today." There was a general grumble of discontent. Ms. P frowned. "Well, would you rather be in an _academic_ class right now?" The answer was a decided negative. "I thought so. So cheer up, all you'll be doing right now is reading and acting, so I can judge how you do. This part's easy."  
  
Satisfied that the kids wouldn't complain anymore, Ms. P looked around. "Now, we'll be starting off with one that I'm sure you all know very well.... Romeo and Juliet. Now, I'd like some volunteers for roles." She looked around.  
  
Tea raised her hand. "I'll play Juliet."  
  
"Good, we've got one of the main characters." Ms. P nodded approvingly. "Anybody else?"  
  
"As long as I'm not a girl...." Yugi grinned a little sheepishly.  
  
"Don't worry, Yugi; we've got plenty of girls to play those roles." Ms. P looked amused. "How about Tybalt?" She looked down the list again. "Mercutio.... what about you, Joey?" She'd written down people's nicknames, it looked like.  
  
"Sure." He shrugged offhandedly. Mercutio was an okay guy, and wasn't super- important.  
  
"We definitely need a Romeo... Seto, will you?"  
  
"Fine." Seto acknowledged, none too thrilled with the role.  
  
"Alright, then. Benvolio?" And the procedure went on.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh, single-soled jest, solely singular for the singleness!" Seto made an attempt to look amused.  
  
"Come between us, good Benvolio; my wits faint." Joey put a hand to his head. Tristan, who had been given Benvolio's role, simply stood there with an irritated look. He had barely any parts in this, yet he still had to stand around....  
  
"Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I'll cry a match." Seto interrupted challengingly. This was so BORING....  
  
"Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five: Was I with you there for the goose?" Joey stumbled through the lines, not used to the odd words.  
  
"There for the goose? Surely, good Mercutio, for art thou not the goose in question?"  
  
"I will bite...." Joey frowned, then did a double take. "Wait a minute, that isn't on the script!"  
  
"Didst thou notice only now? Forsooth, thy title of Goose is well-earned." He'd read enough of these things to have some idea of how to speak it. He might not be the most correct, but....  
  
"Hey!" .;;  
  
"Dost thou deny it, then? Wouldst thy nature be better suited in the calling of a flea-bitten cur?"  
  
"Seto....." He got the general idea, even if he couldn't say it. Joey's chocolate brown eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at the taller man.  
  
"Thou darest to address me so, rascal? Thou son and heir of a mangy mongrel wretch! Learn to cool thy tongue, lest I remove it."  
  
"Shut up!" Joey lunged for Seto, who was looking quite amused, intending to at least get in a good slug at him.  
  
"Boys! That's quite enough." Ms. P grabbed Joey by the shirt collar, and turned him so that she could speak to both of them at once. "Joey, you calm down. Seto, you stop baiting him. I suggest that you both go back to the script, or else you'll be having a wonderful time staying after school to clean the auditorium. I'm sure the janitors would love the extra help." Her tone, normally so friendly, brooked no argument.  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow imperiously, as though finding it hard to believe that a teacher was reprimanding him. When she showed no signs of backing down, he smiled condescendingly. "I'll keep the mutt in line for you." With those words of reassurance, he turned back to his script. "Nay, good goose, bite not."  
  
Joey growled, but gave the teacher a pointed look, as though making sure that she saw him getting back to work. "Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting; it is a most sharp sauce...."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again, that late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company: Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him." Seto demanded. He was holding a plastic prop sword, which looked oddly like a katana. Oh, well.... Even still, he was able to look intimidating with it, especially since he was standing before Yugi.  
  
"Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence." Yugi scowled, trying to sound mean, though it was difficult with his naturally high, sweet voice. His hands were on his hips, one holding a sword that was over half as long as he was tall....  
  
"This shall determine that." Seto told him with finality, and swung his sword.... right over Yugi's head. Their glaring height difference made it amazingly awkward. Gah....  
  
"Umm..." Yugi looked up as the blade whooshed past, sweatdropping. This was rather demeaning....  
  
"Hang on...." Seto shook his head in disgust, and went backstage. He soon returned with a good-sized wooden crate, which he set down on the floor, stepping back with a patronizing look. "Here. Get on."  
  
"Thanks..." Yugi sighed, blushing slightly with embarrassment as he scrambled onto the box that was offered, gaining just enough height for his top of his hair spikes to reach Seto's shoulder. The duel continued in considerably more ease than it had started, and Yugi soon let himself get poked in the chest by Seto's sword, climbing carefully back down to the ground before falling. He didn't want to hurt himself.... ^^;;  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Now, Tea lay sprawled on the floor, eyes closed and perfectly still. Seto knelt before her, reading from his script. "Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, oh, you the doors of breath, seal with a righ--" He did a double take, eyes widening in disbelief. "I've got to _kiss_ her?!" Seto demanded of the teacher.  
  
Ms. P grinned, looking fiendishly pleased with herself by the reaction she'd gained from the normally stoic boy. "Of course. They always did. You should feel lucky; in the days this was first preformed, it was two men on stage."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Whenever you're ready." She sat back with an air of finality, folding her hands to watch the show with amusement.  
  
Seto scowled darkly at her, but picked up the small vial, raising it to his lips and feigning a drink. "Oh, true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die." With a small shudder, Seto pushed aside all the thoughts that had started to crowd his head.  
  
Just a kiss. It was just a kiss for a stupid play. Nothing else. Willing the thread of unease that snaked through his mind to dissipate, he leaned forward with a grimace of distaste, barely brushing his lips against Tea's. Glad that his part was over, and probably more relieved than he should have been, he collapsed onto his side, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling.  
  
Soon enough, Tea sat up, picking up her sheet from beside her, and proceeded to make her observations of the poison. "I will kiss thy lips; happily some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative." With a considerably less reluctance than Seto, she leaned forward, and gave him a gentle kiss. Seto closed his eyes. Just for a play. It didn't mean anything else.  
  
She picked up the plastic knife, and looked down at it. "Oh, happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die." Tea poked herself with the dagger, then collapsed onto Seto.  
  
Seto frowned at her a little. "You're heavier than you look."  
  
"Seto Kaiba!" Tea exclaimed softly, their heads close enough to not need to speak loudly. "Are you accusing me of being fat?"  
  
"Perhaps...."  
  
"The nerve!" Her clear blue eyes flashed indignantly. "Do you _try_ to insult everybody you talk to?" She demanded.  
  
"If I'd wanted to insult you, the answer would have been more akin to 'undoubtedly'." Seto remarked wryly.  
  
"You!" Tea glared at him a little, her fighting spirit raised by the perceived slights. "You wait for me after the bell rings, do you understand?"  
  
"Do you take me for a simpleton? Of course I understand." Seto responded, somewhat contemptuously. "But I've yet to see the day that I'll take orders from the likes of you." He rolled his eyes. What he DIDN'T understand, was how girls' feelings were so easily hurt by comments that weren't supposed to mean a thing.... He'd only been stating a fact! What was wrong with _that_? 


	5. Picture Perfect 2 of 2

*Sigh* Sorry, guys, but this was apparently too big, so I hafta send it in two parts. Enjoy! ^^;;;  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So, _Setina_, ready to start writing this thing?" Joey grinned. It was nice to finally have something that the millionaire couldn't keep his composure with.  
  
"Not quite." Seto smirked at him knowingly, hardly bothered by the nickname.  
  
"Not still mad about being a girl, are you?" Why was Seto so smug? He could've sworn that steam was practically coming out of Seto's ears yesterday.... Did that freak actually LIKE the idea of crossdressing?  
  
"Actually, I still am. But I think I've found a way to cope."  
  
"Yeah? And what's that?" Joey tilted his head curiously, starting to feel a bit of apprehension.  
  
"Mai?" Seto called.  
  
"What about Mai?" Joey looked up to see her strolling towards them, wearing an identical smile to Seto's. "Oh, this REALLY doesn't bode well...." He started to get up.  
  
"Stay a while, mutt." Seto grabbed his arm firmly, keeping the blond in a sitting position. "Since you so _kindly_ pressed the role of female on me, I decided that I needed to know how to look on stage. And who better to use as a subject?"  
  
"No WAY!" Joey tried to bolt, with no more success than before. A slim hand pressed itself against his chest to help restrain him, and he glared at Mai. "You traitor...."  
  
"Sorry, Joey." Mai settled herself by him comfortably. "But when our friend came to me for help with his little idea, I couldn't help but be interested, you know."  
  
"You know, the situation _is_ fully reversible, you know. Provided that we swap roles." Seto offered hopefully. He was prepared for a few smears of lipstick and a sprinkle of various powders, if it got him out of being a woman on stage.  
  
"Bite me, Kaiba." Joey growled, straining forward to try and make a break for it.  
  
"I'm sure you would love that...." Seto rolled his eyes.  
  
Joey started to make a comment, but was silenced as Mai unsheathed her first weapon, a tube of lipstick. "Get that thing away f--"  
  
"Hold still, Joey, and don't try to talk! You want this to be a good job, don't you?" Mai reprimanded, grabbing Joey's jaw and turning his head so she could apply the lipstick.  
  
Joey shot them both glares. If looks could kill....  
  
Mai stared into his eyes. "Mmm.... I think you would like something in the middle shades for this. Blue, maybe? It'll go well with your hair...." She twisted a ringlet of hair around her finger, and juxtaposed the preferred eyeshadow color with it, nodding her approval before taking out a small brush. "Close your eyes, and KEEP them that way. I don't want you to get any of this inside them."  
  
Joey obediently shut his eyes, concentrating on the feather-light touches against his lids as he waited for permission to be able to open them again. He didn't like this one bit, but he knew that he'd like getting that stuff in his eyes even less. Damn them both for plotting against him like this! He'd think up something to get them back....  
  
"Joey? You can open your eyes now." Mai had finished with the blush now, and was blinking at him perplexedly.  
  
"Huh?" Joey blinked, being startled out of his vindictive thoughts.  
  
"She's finished." Seto stated the obvious, offering him Mai's handheld mirror. "Take a look."  
  
Joey took a gander. His lips were a soft coral pink, blush tinted his cheeks just a few shades darker, and sky blue eyeshadow complemented his golden hair and did his amber eyes justice. He looked.... _girly_. Ugh.... "I am so going to KILL you guys...."  
  
He was so horrified with his new look, that he was only angry when he heard Mai laugh. "It's NOT funny!"  
  
"Funny, is in the eye of the beholder, Joey." She winked at him teasingly.  
  
"Hey, mutt." Joey turned around at Seto's prompt, only to be blinded by a flash. "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."  
  
The boy stared at him, open-mouthed with horror and shock, which gave Seto the opportunity to take several more pictures. "YOU!" Once he finally realized what had happened, Joey lunged, trying to snatch the camera.  
  
Seto sprang to his feet, just managing to evade Joey's dive. "You want a copy of any of these?" He directed to Mai. After all, if she was his accomplice, she deserved blackmail opportunities too....  
  
"Of course." Mai offered him a slip of paper, looking pleased. "Here's my email address; you can send them there." She stood up, putting her makeup kit into her purse as the bell rang.  
  
Seto pocketed the slip of paper, nearly being thrown to the ground as Joey tried to tackle him. He countered with his briefcase, putting the camera away. "See you in class, Miss." He smirked. "Unless you'd prefer to be late from trying to wash it off."  
  
Joey stared after him, mouthing a curse. That teacher gave a detention per tardy.... But he couldn't be seen like THIS! But then again, Mai might spread it all over school or something, since that arrogant jerk had taken those pictures, so people could know even if he did take a tardy.....  
  
ARGH! .;;;;;;;;  
  
Joey was so busy lamenting his condition, and wondering what to do about it, that he failed to notice Tea intercepting Seto, as promised. She moved to block the door, and with a certain self-righteousness, boxed his ears.  
  
Seto touched his reddening cheeks with a look of faint surprise, feeling the sting of contact starting to fade. "Might I ask what was that for?" He queried, raising an eyebrow towards the girl.  
  
"If you don't have anything nice to say, then DON'T say anything at all, Kaiba." Tea told him, hands on her hips. "And you should try to have something nice to say to everyone; it makes people like you more than if you're crabby. You're lucky I'm not telling all the girls in school about this." With a final disapproving look, Tea stalked off.  
  
Seto watched her go, not knowing whether to laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all, or just sigh in exasperation. In the end, he did neither, simply shaking his head in bemusement as he walked off to class. "Women...." 


	6. Abandoned

Sorry to confuse people, LOL. It's Romance/Angst because I'm planning for there to be some angst fairly soon, and mainly because FF.Net only lets us have TWO genres! . I didn't want to leave Romance out because.... well, duh.... ^^;; And I didn't want to leave Angst out because some people don't like reading it without warning. And It's Joey/Seto (for this story, anyhow) and not Tea/Seto, because of how reserved Seto is when it comes to things like affection, which I'll hopefully explain better a few chapters from now....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So, you're saying that we've gotta find a way to get around her sexist prejudices." Joey summarized. It was the next day, and they had finally gotten down to business.  
  
"That's right." Seto rolled his eyes.  
  
"....She sounds like she's gay." Joey observed.  
  
"Well, I'M not stopping you if you want to be a female instead....."  
  
"No! I didn't mean it like that!" Joey spoke up quickly.  
  
"So, just HOW did you mean it, then?" Seto smirked, amused.  
  
"I mean.... well.... if she doesn't like guys, then she must like girls, right?" Joey fumbled.  
  
"Joey, she was a virgin." Seto rolled his eyes. "She never had a relationship. We don't need to deal with that."  
  
"Oh. Well, that makes sense, then." Joey agreed. "But if she's a vir-- WAIT! I got it!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Go ahead, shoot."  
  
"That's it! That's it exactly!" Joey grinned, looking absurdly pleased with himself.  
  
"....What?" Seto tilted his head, looking at Joey oddly.  
  
"Shooting! You know that guy with wings that flies around naked and shoots arrows so people love each other? Cupid, right?"  
  
"It's Eros, in Greek." Seto shook his head, considering the idea. "'Thus is winged Cupid painted blind....' You know, this just might work....."  
  
"See? I TOLD you that I had good ideas!" Joey exclaimed triumphantly.  
  
"Idea. You shouldn't use the plural form until you've had more than one, mutt." Seto corrected.  
  
Joey just seethed. "Shut up and work."  
  
"You're the one who interrupted." Seto pointed out. "So, Eros shoots Artemis, Artemis sees Apollo, she falls for him. Why?"  
  
"Why? Cause she was shot, that's why!" Joey stared at him, wondering at the idiocy of Seto's question. Then again, they said there were no stupid questions, only stupid people....  
  
"No, no... why would she be shot in the first place?" Seto sighed.  
  
"Oh.... Hmmm.... maybe Eros is mad at her or something?"  
  
"Probably would be Aphrodite, but we can work with that." Seto agreed. "I suppose the next part would bring the problem, when they start spending time together."  
  
"How would that be a problem?"  
  
"Hello, sun and moon? Night and day? Apollo needs to drive the sun chariot in the daytime; he can't be cavorting around with his new mistress. The same goes for Artemis. They occupy different time periods that can't overlap."  
  
"Oh, yeah.... I get it." Joey nodded. "Everything would be really screwed up."  
  
"Sort of like you are, right?" Seto inquired, chuckling.  
  
"HEY!!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Finally, I thought I'd _never_ get home...." Joey groaned, tossing his backpack to the floor. He winced slightly at the muffled thud it made, and walked as quietly as he could down the hall towards his father's bedroom. If his old man was awake, then he'd be able to watch some TV without fear of disturbing him. If he wasn't, though.... well, it was just best to do his homework first thing, or go up to his room for a while. He never knew what to expect from day to day.  
  
The blond poked his head around the doorway. "Dad?"  
  
His quiet inquiry went unheard by the form that was sprawled across the bed, in a position that looked truly uncomfortable.  
  
"Whatever...." He withdrew, shrugging to himself. He preferred being able to watch TV, but then again, sometimes it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. Joey pulled a book out of his backpack, the novel they were reading for English, and went up to his room.  
  
He carefully closed the door behind himself, then, as was his ritual, took a running leap. He landed on the bed in a gloriously untidy heap of book, limbs, jacket, and hair, the old mattress squeaking in protest as he bounced on it a few times to get comfortable. "Ahh....." He stretched out on his back with a goofy grin, positioning himself close to the wall. He'd had this bed for as long as he could remember, and occasionally the tips of the springs poked out through it. Ouch, sharp little buggers.... But as long as he stayed close to the wall, it didn't happen much. That, and the fact that he was laying on some rumpled bedclothes helped.  
  
Along with the mattress, it'd been his room for as long as he could remember, too. The walls were covered with faded posters of anything he could get his hands on, whether it was rock stars, models, concert memorabilia, or even the cheesy things you could find at the grocery store. He particularly liked the collection of 'Got Milk?' ones that adorned one section of the wall.  
  
There was a bookcase in one corner. Despite what people might think, he actually did like to read. Well.... okay, comic books counted as reading material, right? He had a collection that was several-- HEAVY-- boxes large, and growing, along with some actual books, though not nearly as many. The rest of the space on it was taken up by knick knacks and other odds and ends. Like his bottle-cap collection, and the box of random, pretty stones and feathers that had caught his attention when he went out on walks.  
  
The floor was decently clean, if you ignored the dirty socks there, and that book he'd forgotten to bring back to the library over to the left, and- - watch your step! It could be a jungle in here, as evidenced by the unidentified-but-potted plant that grew on the windowsill. The closet, like any NORMAL boy his age, was a twilight zone. He didn't usually go in there unless he had to. That was why he stuffed most of his clothes into the dresser drawers, which could get pretty tough to open.  
  
On the outside of it though, he kept pictures. Lots of them, in what could almost be described as a shrine, only to nothing in particular. There was one of Yugi and him goofing off in the mall's photo booth, one of Tristan and himself at a pie-eating contest, one of the entire gang posing with 'armor' and paintball guns, one of them at a beach, all doing peace signs and generally pretending to be surfers and jocks. He could see a recent one of Serenity, a picture of the two of them as children, one with his father giving him a piggyback ride, a family photo that was so old he couldn't remember taking it....  
  
Even the moments that weren't so great were captured there, like the photo of him wearing a dog suit for losing a duel. Or one of the times he'd tried to choke Seto, and was being held at arm's length-- he wasn't sure WHO had taken that one in the first place, or how he'd managed to end up with a copy. Hadn't they all been distracted trying to restrain him? Speaking of physical situations, there was Tristan holding him in a headlock.... Oh yeah, and he couldn't forget the one of him cowering behind the couch, with Tea leaning over the back so she could lecture him on proper behavior. He hadn't MEANT to hit the guy THAT hard.... He just didn't know his own strength, honest to goodness! He'd even apologized afterwards, even though it had all been that guy's fault in the first place.  
  
Joey's musings were abruptly cut short by a little voice in his head. One that said, "Test on chapters 9-15 tomorrow. Amount read: Chapter 8."  
  
At this thought, he bolted upright with a colorful array of expletives, and opened the book, starting to read. Like it or loathe it, this was life.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
After several hours of intense reading, and managing to make it up to Chapter 11, Joey got up, and slid down the banister, heading down the hallway again to see if his father was awake. After all, it was kind of a waste to cook for two when only one was eating, right? "Dad?"  
  
Not a single twitch; his father hadn't even moved from the position he'd seen him in last. Joey frowned a little, and leaned against the doorway, sniffing the air. It was absolutely pungent with liquor, strong enough to make somebody who wasn't used to the smell gag. "Oh, bloody hell...." He knew that it hadn't been very long since Winter Break, and people did tend to give good alcohol as gifts, but.... Oh, right. Holiday season.....  
  
Taking a deep breath and deciding that some fresher air and food would do the man good, Joey went to rouse his father. "Dad, you know drinking this much isn't good for you...." A few bottles were scattered near him, one still containing a bit, its mouth lying next to a wet stain on the blanket.  
  
After a few shakes on the shoulder didn't do the trick, Joey picked up the bottles, looking at the labels. "Damn.... I didn't even know he had stuff like this...." This was the GOOD stuff, brewed and aged and bottled. It was much too expensive for his dad to afford on a regular basis, thankfully, and much stronger than his usual supply. Former business associates? It was possible, he supposed.  
  
Tucking that thought away for later, he put the bottles down to take the man's pulse. Sluggish was the best word to describe it. It was steady, though. "....And alcohol's a depressant...." Another colorful string of curses was brought to daylight. What had he been THINKING?! The old man could've drunk himself into a coma!  
  
Teetering between anger and concern, Joey opened a window to get the stench out, went to go heat up a can of soup, and fetched his book. He'd be eating in here tonight; he didn't want dad to wake up without him there, in case the old man needed anything. Unless this was just a temporary thing, he might not be taking that test after all.... 


	7. Out in the Cold

*Sigh* Here's another chapter! My ideas are really coming at a trickle, here... @_@;; Maybe all my inspiration is going towards other stuff. Maybe I should just abandon this fic and work on other things only.... But I'm stubborn, so I'm putting this chapter up anyway. Nyeh.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
This was ridiculous. Completely and UTTERLY ridiculous. Joey had stayed home for two days, now, and there had been no signs of change at all. He was worrying himself to death, and for what? What was he supposed to do now? He didn't know what was wrong with his father, so he didn't know anything to do to make him better. Wait, scratch that; he could drive him to the hospital. That might help, right? If it wasn't a bad idea to move him....  
  
But wouldn't he have noticed any head or spinal injuries when he'd checked his father over?  
  
Willing to believe in the accuracy of his checks, and not wanting to sit and wait helplessly any longer, Joey gingerly wrapped his arms around his father's waist, slinging the man over his shoulder and sagging under his weight. Once he'd adjusted to the rather heavy burden, Joey grabbed the car keys off the nightstand, and carefully went out the door, towards his father's car. He wasn't legally able to drive yet; he still wouldn't be taking the test until the end of the year. At the moment, he really didn't care if it was illegal; it had to be done!  
  
The blond strapped his father into the back seat as gently as he could, then slid into the driver's seat, starting the ignition. He'd taken lessons, at least, so it'd be okay. With a rumble of the engine, they were off towards the hospital, in decent form. After all, they hadn't hit anything.... yet.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The doctor paced restlessly beside a bed, phone cradled against his ear as he stared at a clipboard. "Hello?" A bright, female voice greeted.  
  
"Ms. Wheeler?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, nobody by that name lives here." The voice sounded vaguely puzzled.  
  
The doctor held back his frustration, and responded levelly. "I was told that a Ms. Serena Wheeler and a Miss Serenity Wheeler resided here. Could you tell me their new address?"  
  
"I don't know anybody by that name. I'm sorry, sir, but this is an apartment." Was the only response.  
  
"Thank you all the same. I apologize." He hung up, running his fingers through his wavy brown hair, and considered his options on who to call. The top choice had been Joey's mother and sister, being the only family members on the list that the teen had filled out on his last visit, which had been some years ago. Who else was here, anyway? Solomon and Yugi Motou, Tristan Taylor, Tea Gardner... This Solomon seemed to be the best bet. From what the doctor could make of it, he was probably something like a godfather. Shrugging to himself, he dialed the number.  
  
"Hello, Turtle Gameshop, can I help you?" Yugi chirped.  
  
"Hello, may I speak to Dr. Solomon Motou?"  
  
"Grandpa's busy right now." Yugi responded, digging through the drawer for a pen. "But I could take a message, if you want."  
  
"To whom am I speaking?" The doctor asked hesitantly. After all, this was rather confidential....  
  
"My name's Yugi."  
  
"Ah." He was on the list too; that was fine, then. "This is Dr. Rosenstein, the physician for the Wheeler family."  
  
"Uh-huh." Yugi articulated, scribbling the name down.  
  
"I'm calling your grandfather as a next of kin. Mr. Nathaniel Wheeler is currently in a comatose state, due largely to the imbibition of a large amount of alcohol. I believe there is some chance of treatment, but it would be very costly."  
  
"Oh.... oh, my...." Yugi bit his lip, closing his eyes. The poor man.... And Joey must be heartbroken.... "I'm so sorry...."  
  
"It's very unfortunate." The doctor agreed. "Would you please tell your grandfather what I told you, and ask him to call me back?"  
  
"Yes, sir. What's your number?" Yugi asked, dutifully writing it down as the doctor told him. He hung up, then jumped off the stool. "Grandpa! Grandpa, someone left a message for you!" He raced off, pad in hand, to deliver the news.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Joey? Can I talk to you?" Yugi asked, perched on the stool once again.  
  
"U-uh, sure, Yug. Now? Or are you coming over?" Joey asked numbly, somewhat surprised by his small friend's call. The doctor's diagnosis had chilled him to the core. His dad _was_ in a coma; what was worse, that the doctor had said that the treatment was expensive, and also somewhat depended on his father's 'will to recover'. The practical upshot of all this?  
  
The old man would never wake up again.  
  
He didn't have nearly enough money for the sum that the doctor had quoted him; he couldn't even come close, and wasn't sure how he would be able to get enough, either. Scratch that option. Besides that, his father didn't HAVE any sort of 'will to recover'! He'd drank himself into this stupid coma to get away from the world; what made the doctor think that he'd want to come back? There was hardly even any point in trying to get him back; Joey would bet all the money he had left that the only reason his father was alive were his survival instincts, the only things that alcohol and anguish couldn't subdue.  
  
But he loved his father, no matter how low the man had sunk. He loved the old drunk, and he wasn't about to let him go like this! The guy deserved better, no matter what anybody said. He'd been a good father, once... A kind, strong man, warm and loving, that any boy would be proud to call his dad.  
  
That dad was still there, somewhere. Somewhere deep down inside, twisted and battered from misery and self-inflicted abuse from alcohol, but not yet broken. Sleeping, but not dead. He'd get that dad back if it killed him.  
  
"How about you come to the park?" Yugi suggested. He wanted a more cheerful setting than Joey's house, which, from what he'd seen of it, wasn't very cheerful at all.  
  
"Sure... I'll be right there...."  
  
"I'll see you soon, okay?" Yugi hung up. "Grandpa, I'm going to the park to talk to Joey, okay?"  
  
"Alright, Yugi." Solomon agreed solemnly. He knew very well the outing wasn't for pleasure. Quite the opposite, in fact.  
  
It wasn't long before Yugi could be found on a park bench, sitting next to Joey. "What did you wanna talk to me about?" The blond asked, trying to shake himself out of his funk. For his friend's sake, he'd act normal....  
  
"Joey, your doctor called Grandpa and I today." Yugi started. "And... and I'm really sorry..."  
  
"What?!" Joey leapt to his feet, caught between shock, anger, and humiliation. "How COULD he? Why?!"  
  
Grandpa had told him of his return call to the doctor. "He said that he couldn't find your mom or Serenity. We were the next people to call."  
  
"He wasn't supposed to call _anyone_!" Joey fumed. "I didn't want anybody to know...." He looked away, cheeks flaming scarlet with embarrassment and snubbed pride.  
  
"Why not?" Yugi looked up at his friend in concern, unable to hide the hurt in his expression. Joey was his best friend! Did he not trust him anymore? Was that why he didn't want anybody to tell? Had he offended Joey somehow?  
  
"I... I mean..." Joey's expression softened as he saw the injured look in Yugi's eyes, and guiltily sat down, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. "You've got enough to deal with. I can handle this by myself, you know. I just don't want you to worry about me..." He gave his friend a comforting squeeze, sighing.  
  
The pain in Yugi's expression melted away, to be replaced by surprise and compassion. "Joey, you should never have to deal with anything alone! Friends look out for each other, and I know this will be easier on you if you let me help you." The spike-haired boy smiled encouragingly. What did you know, it _did_ pay to listen to Tea once in a while.  
  
"Yugi, please... I can handle this." Joey bit his lip, looking down. He didn't want to take advantage of his friend like this. Yugi obviously couldn't afford the treatment; he couldn't even come close. That was no way to treat a friend, trying to force your problems on them. Yugi and Gramps didn't deserve that. He'd find his own solution.  
  
"Come on, Joey... I could get a job! Tea got one, so it can't be too hard...." Yugi suggested hopefully, grabbing the blond's sleeve.  
  
"Yugi, I'll be fine. You don't need to wo--" Joey started, cut off in the middle of his protest.  
  
"I hate to interrupt, but I couldn't help overhearing." A deep voice broke into the conversation. Seto stood a few feet from the bench, hands casually in his pockets and his face impassive.  
  
Joey spun around, startled, and glared at the CEO. "What do _you_ want, Kaiba?" He flushed darker, from both anger and embarrassment. He hadn't wanted his friends to know; the last thing he wanted was for Kaiba to know too!  
  
"I want to talk to you." He shrugged a little, raising cool cerulean eyes to catch Joey's gaze.  
  
Joey returned the stare heatedly for a minute, then looked away uncomfortably. "Get lost; I'm busy."  
  
"I don't take no for an answer; you should know that by now." Seto's eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"Yeah, I know." Joey's eyes narrowed as well as he glared back. "And I'm not gonna take yes for an answer right now; I'm talking to my friend."  
  
"Arguing isn't going to get you anywhere." Seto told him dryly. "You may as well just come with me."  
  
"Joey, I know that I can't force you to do anything." Yugi chimed in, looking up at his friend pleadingly. "But I do know that I want to be there, to help or just to talk. Please, consider it? You don't have to answer now."  
  
"There you have it." Seto announced. "Now that your conversation is over...." He beckoned imperiously, turning on his heel to walk away.  
  
Joey muttered a few expletives that made Yugi blush, and the blond smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry, Yug. I guess I'll see you later, then?"  
  
"You bet!" Yugi agreed, and stood up to go, as Joey was occupied now.  
  
"Cool." Joey followed after the tall brunet, still grumbling. Who the hell did that guy think he was, eavesdropping on a private conversation, then tearing him away from his friend? Jerk....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was a rare event that Seto found the time to take Mokuba to the park, and rarer still that he paid much attention to anybody but themselves. However, he'd noticed something even rarer; the mutt and the midget were arguing about something. Joey looked furious, no big surprise there; Yugi was pleading with him. Since when did Yugi start arguments like this?  
  
Something about money matters, and Joey's father. From the video project he'd done last semester, Seto had been able to get the gist of what the blond's home life was like, and it hadn't been the best. The two of them had been.... more familiar, lately.... so what could it hurt to ask? Reassuring Mokuba that he wouldn't be gone for a few minutes, Seto had gone to fetch the taller teen, and was now leading him off towards a small stand of trees, where they would have a bit more privacy than a regular bench. He leaned against a trunk nonchalantly, looking Joey over. "Well?"  
  
"Well? Well what?" Joey demanded, rather confused.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to tell me about it?" Seto elaborated, looking as if it should have been the most obvious conclusion in the world.  
  
"Why should I?" He wanted to know, skeptical of Seto's intentions. "You'll just rub it in my face."  
  
"Well, I already know enough to do so, so you might as well give me the full story." The CEO let a smirk slowly make its way onto his face.  
  
"You....."  
  
"What about me?" Seto tilted his head.  
  
"Err...." Joey's mind blanked out, just as he was thinking of which insult to pick.  
  
"Come on, boy. Something's bothering you, something big, and I want to know about it." Seto prompted.  
  
"Why do you even _care_?"  
  
"We're working together this entire semester; I really would prefer to make a high mark for that imbecilic Drama class." Seto reminded. His smirk grew. "Besides, it's the master's responsibility to care for their dog."  
  
Joey snarled. "You're a jerk, Kaiba."  
  
"And you're a pansy. Look at you, hiding behind a facade of anger, just because you're too afraid to come out and say anything. What's going to happen, am I going to rip your head off for saying the truth?"  
  
"I am NOT!" Joey fairly roared, absolutely bristling now.  
  
"Prove it." Seto challenged.  
  
"Fine!" He snapped back. "If you _must_ know, my old man's in a coma. He aint going anywhere until I find a lot of cash to cough up, and even then probably won't. Happy now?" Joey glared.  
  
"Not quite." Seto shook his head. Joey obviously cared for his father; otherwise, this wouldn't be affecting him so badly. And if he was right, then welfare was their only source of money, which would disappear, with his father out of the picture. Essentially, the kid wouldn't be able to pay any utility bills, or tuition, or buy food, or keep a car or house....  
  
He'd be all alone. Kicked out into the cold. And while it hadn't been quite the same for Seto, it was close enough to send a terribly painful stab of guilt through his gut. What would have happened to him if there had been someone willing to lend a hand? Would he have had a better life than he'd been given? Probably. Wouldn't he have wanted it? Definitely, desperately.  
  
It would be a crime not to at least offer the possibility.  
  
"What _else_ do you want, then?" Joey asked sourly. "Me to fetch you your pipe and slippers?"  
  
Seto couldn't help but laugh at the mental image that brought up. "I don't smoke."  
  
"Yeah? Then spill." Joey commanded.  
  
"I want to make the same offer your little friend gave you." Seto settled back down to business. "Unlike Yugi, I could afford to pay whatever the treatment costs."  
  
"You.... what?" Joey stared at him, trying to make sense of what he'd just heard. Was Seto actually trying to HELP him? What was that arrogant, rich pig thinking? Hopefully it wasn't one of his tricks... 


	8. Words of Honor

This fic has been evil, and continues to plague me with writer's block, but I'm toughing it out. XP I'll need some heavy-duty inspiration to make this stuff anything more than trash. Help meee... X_X; Meh, I'll survive, I guess... But anyhow, Joey has an announcement to make, so I'll let him hop to it, and you get on to the story.  
  
Joey: Hey! Want to read a great fic with lots of shounen-ai goodness? Then go read Devilkid's fic, Crossing Over! It stars ME, your favorite bishounen! Oh yeah, and I think Seto and Yami show up once or twice in there too, but they're really not as important as I am.  
  
Jounouchi: *Steps through link* YOU'RE the star? No way! It's all ME! You don't even show up for a cameo...  
  
Joey: 0.0 Whaaa?! You've gotta be out of your mind! We're the same person, only with different names and accents, so it's ME!  
  
Jounouchi: If we ARE the same person, then we'd BOTH star. Anyhow, if we're the same person, then how are we arguing?  
  
Joey: 0.o; .Because...Err...We're from different stories?  
  
Jounouchi: ^^; Well, obviously. But more importantly, I'm from an alternate universe. I'm older, go to college, and make good grades, unlike YOU...  
  
Joey: . HEY! At least I'M not the one falling for a rich jerk...  
  
Jounouchi: Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...  
  
Joey: If you even THINK about comparing me to him...  
  
Seto: *Steps through link, grabs Joey's jacket, and keeps him from lunging* Sit! Stay!  
  
Joey: *Snarl*  
  
Seto: *Pats Joey's head* Good boy.  
  
Jounouchi: ^_^ *Snicker*  
  
Seto: *Grabs Jounouchi's jacket, and hauls him back through link* Heel... *Disappears, beckoning the readers to follow him...AFTER they R&R THIS story, of course!*  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Do you have a hearing problem? You know perfectly well what I said." Seto rolled his eyes.  
  
"You said that you wanted to help me." Joey repeated.  
  
"In a manner of speaking, yes." Seto nodded, trying his best to be patient. "Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
"You don't help me." Joey shook his head, staring at him. "You just...don't. Not YOU." By the tone of his voice, one could tell he believed anyone who thought otherwise should be committed to the funny farm.  
  
"Don't think I might play turncoat?" Seto smirked. "I have my reasons."  
  
"Which are?" Joey challenged.  
  
"My own." Seto supplied succinctly.  
  
"Why do you have to be damned STUBBORN?!" Joey exploded. "I mean, you just waltz up and listen in on my personal affairs without so much as a by-your- leave, then you drag me away from my friend, then you're suddenly all Mr. Nice Guy, offering to help, and now you won't even tell me WHY you want to?! What if I need to know? I wouldn't be able to pay you back, Kaiba. You should know that, and I know you don't do anything without it benefiting you or Mokuba somehow." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully for a moment. "Is this blackmail? Are you trying to get favors out of me or something?"  
  
"Trust me, you don't want to know my reasons, even if I were inclined to tell you." Seto told him, sighing. "I realize you couldn't pay me back, not with money, at least. I would be satisfied with being able to help, and knowing that I might be able to ask a favor or two of you in return, if need be." He gave Joey an irritated look. "But right now, if you don't stop questioning my motives instead of considering my offer, like any intelligent person would, I might be forced to retract it."  
  
"There must be a catch..." Joey grumbled, still highly dubious of any so- called "charity" coming from the CEO. Yeah, they'd gotten closer; you might even be able to consider them buddies...if you were high as a kite and stoned as a cobble road. Still, Seto would never do something like this without gain...would he? He HAD mentioned something about favors...  
  
Seto took on a patronizing air, and rested a hand on Joey's head, much like a master patting his pet. "Listen up, pup. It's as simple as this: You find out how much money your father needs to be treated. Then, you tell me how much that is, and give me your doctor's phone number. After that, I call your doctor, and work out a plan of payment. That's it. There aren't any strings attached." The taller teen ran his fingers through Joey's long, slightly tousled hair coyly, and twirled a silky strand around his forefinger. "Do you understand? Would you like me to write it down for you, or give you the definitions of some of the harder words? Don't be too embarrassed or afraid to ask."  
  
He wanted to get this over with, and it was rather hard to, when Joey didn't trust him. Granted, Joey was probably wise not to trust him, but...well, couldn't the guy accept that maybe, just once, he WASN'T doing something for selfish reasons? For heaven's sake, he wasn't THAT hard- hearted! ...Was he?  
  
At any rate, he just wanted to help. Well...that, and answer his own questions. Would things have really been different for him if SOMEONE had been willing to help? He would never know, but he did want to see if he could make a difference in Joey's life that way. Love it or loathe it, he was getting rather attached the blond. He was...almost like a brother, in some ways. Not like Mokuba, of course; more like one near his own age; the sort that you could joke around with, and play rough, because you knew that you wouldn't hurt each other. The sort where, even if you did, it didn't matter too much. He didn't want to hurt Mokuba in any way...but hurting Joey was kind of fun, and he knew the teen would always bounce back. Moreover, he tried to give as good as he got. It was a friendly rivalry. If there was one thing Seto thrived on, it was competition.  
  
"Quit it..." Joey squirmed out from under Seto's touch, smoothing back his hair as best he could, not sure whether to be resentful and suspicious, or give in and take the help like he wanted to. "You'll just give him the money? Nothing else?" He prompted, reluctant to trust the person who seemed to delight in tormenting him so much.  
  
"Nothing else." Seto agreed. "You have my word."  
  
"Yeah? What's that worth, $1.50?" Joey quipped.  
  
"It's worth my honor, dignity, and integrity." Seto narrowed his eyes slightly, leveling a serene azure gaze at the blond. "My word is my bond, Joey, and I'm not one to break it. I HAVE scruples, and you don't seem to understand that." The frustration was clear in his voice. He was TIRED of always being the bad guy, the villain. For once, couldn't somebody besides Mokuba trust him? He could be a good person...  
  
Wait a minute...had he actually referred to the mutt by his real name? That was a first... Was he feeling alright? Maybe he was ill...  
  
"Yeah?" Joey seemed to consider this. "Well, I'll take you up on that offer then, I guess. But if you try anything..." He left his threat unsaid, mainly because he couldn't think up a good one on short notice.  
  
"If I try anything beyond the boundaries of what I laid out to you, then I'm fully prepared to take your retribution, and accept any consequences for my actions." Seto rolled his eyes. "Would you like a written contract?"  
  
"No, it's fine. As long you don't try to pull a fast one on me." Joey responded.  
  
"No tricks. I guarantee it." Seto held out his hand, and after staring for a minute, Joey took it.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The next afternoon found Joey knocking on the Attendance Office's door. Ms. White opened it. "Yes?"  
  
"You?!" Joey stared, surprised. Hadn't the Attendance Officer been Mr. Black?  
  
"Ah, Joseph." She looked pleased to see him, her sweet smile seeming almost malicious. "Thank you for being so prompt." She shut the door behind her. "Go on and sit." She shepherded him to a chair. "There have been layoffs recently, as you must know. Domino High has found it...economical to put some people in two positions." There was a glitter of fiendish delight in her eyes.  
  
"Right..." Joey agreed, sitting down gingerly. WHY hadn't the school fired this old battle-ax? He had a bad feeling about this...  
  
"My records show that you haven't been to school for the past three days, Joseph." She declared in a decidedly predatory fashion. "Do you have a note for this absence?"  
  
"No..." How could he? They didn't accept self-written notes, and his dad CERTAINLY wasn't in any condition to write one...  
  
"Well, then." She steepled her fingers. "Could you explain why you were unable to attend school?"  
  
"My...my dad was sick." He fidgeted. "I was the only person around to take care of him."  
  
Her voice was syrupy sweet, dripping with false compassion. "I do hope that he's better. What was wrong with him, specifically?"  
  
He looked away from her. "Coma. He's not better yet."  
  
"But soon, surely?" She pressed.  
  
"I don't think so." Joey shook his head, feeling at once a foreboding anxiety gnawing at his gut, and a hot surge of anger and resentment at her probing.  
  
"And you say you were the only one available to take care of him?" She looked through a folder, nodding to herself. "You don't have any siblings or a mother, do you?"  
  
"Not where I can find them. They don't want to have anything to do with me." His lip curled bitterly. It was all his mother's fault; Serenity would've wanted to stay with him, he was sure of it. Or at least, let him come along...  
  
Ms. White nodded, her smile becoming particularly ominous as she wrote something down. "Well then, my dear, it appears that you have nobody to care for you. You are aware that the legal age of adulthood is 18, yes?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you are 16?"  
  
"That's right. What are you getting at?" He demanded.  
  
"That you're too young to lawfully live by yourself. Joseph, I'm going to recommend a good fostering agency to you..." She purred.  
  
"You WHAT?!" He stood up, eyes wide in disbelief. "You can't do that..."  
  
"Need I remind you, deary, that I am older and in a higher position of authority than you? I can and will." The woman asserted.  
  
"That's outrageous! You can't just...just toy with people's lives like this! Who do you think you are?!" Joey exploded, amber eyes blazing gold with rage.  
  
"I think I am Ms. Bianca White, your counselor, attendance officer, and SUPERIOR, who is following the law on your behalf." She informed him sharply, and reached for her phone with a cold look. "You're dismissed, Joseph."  
  
"Fine!" He all but snarled at her, storming out.  
  
She flipped through her Rolodex. Forget a fostering agency; what family in their right mind would tolerate that brat? He'd be better suited to live at an orphanage for a few years... She stopped at one card, picked up the phone, and dialed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Joey tossed his backpack onto the floor, and sprawled out on the couch, still fuming from his little "chat". How DARE she! He wasn't just a pawn to play with! He'd been practically living by himself for years; he could do it now! He could take care of himself just fine, without any bitter old ladies trying to ship him off to some other home... SHE was the one who needed to be shipped off, and to the Funny Farm, at that. "Delusional, whacked out, sadistic witch..."  
  
He flipped on the television, and let his mind wander, knowing he should be doing his homework. He was too stressed now, though; he'd do it later, once he'd relaxed some.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"Wha?" Joey sat up, levering himself to his feet. Almost nobody came to the house, except delivery guys when he ordered out, or people bringing the occasional package from Serenity. Even his friends usually knew better than to come in person, instead just calling him. He cracked open the door. "Yes?"  
  
"Joseph Wheeler?" A deep, masculine voice asked. The door opened a little wider to show him a stocky man in a short-sleeved, collared blue shirt and jeans. He caught a glimpse of a similarly dressed man behind him."What do you want?"  
  
"We're from the Domino City Children's Shelter." He said, pushing the door open all the way. "I'll have to ask you to come with us." The man took Joey's arm into an iron grip.  
  
"WHAT?!" Joey stared at them with wide eyes, almost paralyzed with disbelief. "Like HELL I will!" He snarled, and started to struggle. It was useless, though; he couldn't fight against someone who had the advantage over him in height, weight, and strength!  
  
A definite problem. How could he get around that? 


	9. Purgatory and Redemption

I'm back! Sorry for taking so long with this... ^^;;; I've been really busy lately. Anyhow, I'll be trying to update as much as I can while school's still not here, so look out for more stuff! *CRIES cause she doesn't wanna go to school* Also, if anybody knows anything about Yugi or Duke Devlin's past/family (especially about parents), I'll give them a cookie! ^_^ And if they ask real nicely, maybe even a one-shot! R&R!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The man took his shoulder in a hold that felt like it'd dislocate the thing. "Please don't struggle." He was pulling at the boy without too much success, as his other hand was clamped onto the doorframe with a death grip, nails scoring the wood in an attempt to resist being dragged away.  
  
"Well, gee--" Joey spoke haltingly in his efforts to twist away, feeling splinters of pain shoot up and down his arms from both how tightly he was being held, and how his grip on the doorframe was slipping. "at least-- I get abducted by-- POLITE guys...." He rolled his eyes, redoubling his efforts with a grimace as an idea came to him.  
  
Who _cared_ if this guy outmatched him in weight, height, and strength? He was tenfold this guy's superior in brains, and he wasn't afraid to fight dirty. After all, there was nothing about this situation that was good, anyway. They were practically kidnapping him!  
  
He strained backwards and held onto the doorframe as tightly as possible for balance, waited for the inevitable jerk to haul him towards the guy, then brought his foot up in a vicious snap kick. His captor's eyes widened in an almost comical way, and he doubled over in pain, letting go of Joey to clutch his groin protectively.  
  
Joey took the opportunity to balance himself again, mind racing. They might try to break down the door if he went back inside, but if he ran, they had a good chance of catching him....  
  
Who said he couldn't hide? As much as he wanted to pulverize those jerks, he was willing to settle for the one blow he'd gotten in. With that in mind, Joey was off like a shot, running for all he was worth, with blood pounding in his ears.  
  
No, wait, that wasn't it. That sound was footsteps. Joey felt a heaviness in his stomach as he was lifted into the air by a fistful of shirt and jacket. Crud, and here he'd thought he could outrun that second guy.... He let fly several expletives.  
  
"Watch your mouth." The second man scolded him, before turning back to his companion, who had by now managed to straighten back up. "I got him, Rob. He didn't get too far."  
  
"Good." The first one-- Rob-- had a voice that was significantly higher than it had been before. "Put him in the back, and let's go."  
  
Ignoring the second man's disapproval, Joey cursed the entire trip there, trying to keep from repeating any one word, and managed to come up with some very creative word concoctions, as well as throwing in a few curses that he'd heard used here and there by foreign exchange students. This was not good....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"What parents? Stay... and who of men is my sire?" Seto reached out, grabbing Tristan's sleeve.  
  
Tristan pulled his arm back, eyes closed, and smirked. The expression seemed strange on his face, especially when contrasted with Seto's apparent distress. "This day shall show thy birth and shall bring thy ruin." He informed the taller teen.  
  
"What riddles, what dark words thou always speakest!" Seto exclaimed, pressing a hand to his temple and shaking his head, seeming to be trying to curb his temper.  
  
"Nay, art not thou most skilled to unravel dark speech?" Tristan taunted, his normally mild voice now challenging.  
  
"Make that my reproach in which thou shalt find me great." Despite how riled he looked, the words were haughty.  
  
Tristan opened his eyes to peek at his script, then closed them again. "Yet 'twas just that fortune that undid thee." He countered, seeming to flow from being angry to being patronizing.  
  
"Nay, if I delivered this town. I care not." Seto returned disdainfully, though he was still holding Tristan's sleeve.  
  
"Then I will go: so do thou, boy, take me hence." Tristan scoffed, turning his head to the side, where Tea stood waiting. There weren't enough boys in the class for this play; they'd had to make do with a few girls assuming masculine roles.  
  
"Aye, let him take thee: while here, thou art a hindrance, thou, trouble: when thou hast vanished, thou wilt not vex me more." Seto gave Tristan an almost violent shove, and the spike-haired brunet stumbled backwards. Tea immediately steadied him.  
  
Tristan scowled in Seto's direction, taking Tea's arm and opening his eyes to look at the script again, needing to read out his speech. "I will go when I have done mine errand, fearless of thy frown: for thou canst never destroy me. And I tell thee-the man of whom thou hast this long while been in quest, uttering threats, and proclaiming a search into the murder of Laius-that man is here,-in seeming, an alien sojourner, but anon he shall be found a native Theban, and shall not be glad of his fortune. A blind man, he who now hath sight, a beggar, who now is rich, he shall make his way to a strange land, feeling the ground before him with his staff. And he shall be found at once brother and father of the children with whom he consorts; son and husband of the woman who bore him; heir to his father's bed, shedder of his father's blood. So go thou in and think on that; and if thou find that I have been at fault, say thenceforth that I have no wit in prophecy."  
  
Seto walked off to the side, Tea and Tristan headed in the opposite direction. He couldn't really fault Tristan's performance; the teen was fairly good, as actors went. At least he didn't read in a monotone, like some people were apt to; and he didn't have a voice that bounced all over the place, like some of the more easily excitable girls. It was just.... well....  
  
Well what?  
  
He just wasn't the person Seto preferred to work with. As good as Tristan was, Seto much preferred to work with Joey. He often got the leading male roles, by this point, and the mutt usually was given the role of sidekick, or chief antagonist. They just had a charge between them, probably from practice. They were natural spitfires on the stage, counterbalancing and complementing one another. Just like when they argued in private, only with a streak of exhibitionism to it. The only difference was, unlike when it was only between the two of them, Seto's characters didn't always win.  
  
Speaking of which, where WAS that cur? He hadn't been to school for a good four days, now, and had been missing for several days before the one day he did come. Seto knew what the first disappearance was from, but this one was rather unsettling. Shouldn't that inconsiderate mongrel have at least called to give him the doctor's number, and how much money the treatment cost? It WAS his father's life at stake, after all. But not Seto's, so he shouldn't worry about it....  
  
Shouldn't, even though he was. Maybe he'd go pay Joey a visit after school, just to ask about that.  
  
The next scene started, and Seto followed the tangent his thoughts were leading him on, devoting a small portion of his mind to speaking his part, Oedipus, the damned king. A flawed hero. He always seemed to get those sorts of roles. Not in the play he was making, though; that was probably because there were no heroes. Just condemned lovers.  
  
They'd found a way around Artemis' hatred of men, rigged Joey's part to ensure the Apollo's returned affections, and left both figments entirely oblivious of the havoc they were wreaking. All that was left to do was figure out how to force them apart without needing a third actor, and writing out the script itself.  
  
And the performing of it. Seto was definitely not looking forward to that. Who wanted to wear a dress, anyway? He'd been tricked! Joey would've been better suited to the role... But alas, nobody could have their way all the time, no matter how much they deserved to. Even hapless Oedipus, his entire life twisted by powers beyond his control, was made bow to the gods.....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The limo stopped by the ramshackle house, and Seto slid out, telling the driver to wait for him. He reached for the doorbell, then paused in mid- action, noticing that the door was unlocked. Frowning in puzzlement, the CEO pushed open the door, noticing scratches on the doorframe from Joey's nails, though he was unsure as to why they were there. The TV was on, Joey's backpack was on the floor next to the rather shabby couch, and it all looked as though he'd just picked up and left that afternoon.  
  
A quick tour of the house later, Seto found Joey's room, surveying the small piles of junk covering the floor with obvious distaste. How could anybody LIVE in this kind of filth? He kept HIS room immaculately clean. But Joey wasn't here, obviously. And there was no sign of where he went. Maybe he should look at the park, next? Or maybe he should just check around; few could match his skills with the computer, and those skills included tracing people. Just one more perk of being an elite hacker.  
  
But Joey was probably fine; just at the park playing basketball with his little friends, or something. Like he even cared? He was only seeking out the misbegotten gutterwhelp to show that he really did keep his promises. That and to keep working on the stupid play. Shaking his head at his own foolish worries, Seto left the room, going back outside to get into his limo. He wasn't acting like himself, he knew. This was sheer madness on his part....  
  
But what if he was wrong? What if Joey really had gotten himself into trouble? The boy didn't have any family around to help him, any friends that would come over often enough to notice him missing. He'd be alone.... Seto shuddered at the thought. He was rarely alone, and was immensely thankful for it. He would have died ten thousand times over without Mokuba. Mokuba was his light in the dark, his anchor in the raging sea, his trusted ally when the entire world was against him. Mokuba was the only thing that got him through the day, sometimes. When things were really bad, he didn't know what he'd do without having his little brother waiting to make him feel better. Mokuba was both of their hearts and souls, the thing that kept their little family of two going. Thank heavens for that.  
  
He felt a sudden pang of pity, knowing that Joey was separated from his own sibling. Her name.... Serenity, wasn't it? He was fairly sure. What must it feel like to have nobody to come home to? Nobody in the world who he could turn to when all else failed. A horrible fate, the like of which he wouldn't wish on anybody, even the mutt.  
  
Anybody would be miserable alone. It was human nature to be gregarious. Safety in numbers, yes? They were very pack-minded. Or hive, if you would. Mankind was something like ants or bees, in his opinion. Everybody was wanted and needed, to do some specific job, to be something to someone. A place for everyone, and everyone in their place.  
  
What happened to you when you had no place?  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
He was alone. All alone. Surrounded by people, but alone.  
  
No man was an island, but he had been isolated for four days. No school, no work, no friends... Nobody and nothing that was familiar to him. Everything he was surrounded by was strange, and he didn't want it to become familiar, either. This wasn't his world. This place was as alien as if he'd been dropped off at Venus. He'd been torn from his world, and the wound still rubbed raw, the pain of separation still fresh.  
  
He'd hated it here from the very first. Adults with sickly sweet smiles, telling him how sorry they were, how much he would like it here, how they were sure somebody would take him soon.... They were all horrible liars, every one of them. Everything was a dreary, whitewashed color, with occasional bits of dull grey and gleams of lackluster metal. The furniture always seemed hard, he had yet to find a meal he could stomach without disgust-- an extraordinary, though somewhat dubious distinction, considering his appetite--, and residents-- he wanted to call them inmates-- like himself were all treated more as if they were dolls for display, or beasts being groomed for a pet show. They provided you with overly nice clothes, made sure you looked good, stuffed you into a miniature hospital facility if you were sick.... All they were concerned about was your appearance.  
  
No thought was really given to the other things. Like school, for instance; they gave you books, and set aside a period of time for people to read and study, but nothing else. How were you supposed to learn the lessons without a teacher, if you couldn't grasp them from the books? He never thought he'd say it, but he actually missed school. And what about how you felt? He didn't think anybody was really very happy here. The other people his age were absolute _pricks_, usually the worst being the adults' favorites, and seemed hellbent on making life miserable for him. For his part, he usually tried to avoid them; this wasn't like when he'd been in a gang. He didn't have any friends to fall back on here. Retribution if he tried anything serious would probably be profound, exhaustive, and exceedingly painful.  
  
His friends.... His friends were all back in the real world, far out of reach from this hellhole. How were they doing? Did they know where he'd gone? What he wouldn't give to have Tristan with him right now, or maybe Yugi.... Tea coming to visit would be nice to cheer him up. She was great at giving pep talks. Even Seto would be nice to have around, if only for the fact that he could probably get him out, whether by hook or by crook. He didn't particularly care how, as long as he got out _somehow_.  
  
"Man...." Joey groaned, rolling over onto his stomach on the bed, and burying his head into his arms. This really sucked....  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't our favorite whipped dog...." A deep voice declared, rich with suppressed laughter.  
  
"Huh?!" Joey nearly fell off the bed in his surprise, propping himself up on one elbow to see Seto standing over him. How did that guy move so _quietly_?! He hadn't even heard the door open!  
  
"Hello to you, too." Seto's expression hovered between a smile and a smirk, and he looked almost affectionate. "Still beaten into the ground, I see."  
  
"What're you talking about?" Joey demanded, feeling slightly irritated as he sat up entirely. Hadn't he just been wishing that Seto were here a minute ago?  
  
"Well, it's obvious that you didn't come here by choice." Seto gestured, as if he were explaining some difficult concept to a child. "You were defeated, and like a pathetic dog, you've stayed down in the mud."  
  
"Not like I had any CHOICE." Joey growled. "They lock the doors at night, same with the gates. And in the day you're watched too closely to do a thing." He scowled bitterly at the thought of the adults.  
  
"I know." Seto nodded sympathetically.  
  
"Yeah? And why did you come here, to gloat?" Joey groaned. He should've known Kaiba was never up to any good....  
  
"Get up." Seto commanded gently.  
  
"What?" Joey blinked.  
  
"Get up." He repeated, this time more firmly. "You're coming with me. I'm taking you out of here."  
  
Joey stared at him, goggle-eyed. Well, an unlikely knight in shining armor, but he'd be insane to refuse the offer. "Really?" He stood up.  
  
"Yes, really." Seto seemed amused. "I don't lie when I don't have anything to gain by it. Now, come on." He opened the door.  
  
"Um...." Joey had the presence of mind to grab his old clothes, the only things he had here, and followed Seto. "Th-thanks...." He shook his head, still stunned. "Thanks a lot. I mean, you're... you're saving my butt, here. That's.... I mean.... I really don't know what to say...." He could hardly believe it was possible.  
  
"Don't mention it." Seto told him; his tone was dangerous. "Ever."  
  
"I... I won't." Joey agreed, and raised an eyebrow at his expression, rather uneasy.  
  
"Good boy." Seto regained his confident look, and led the blond out into the evening's waning sunlight, through the gates, and to his limo. More importantly, leading to freedom.  
  
If he hadn't buckled his seatbelt already, he would have done a victory dance. He waited until they were being driven back to his house to ask a question. "How come nobody put YOU in the slammer for not having any adults to look out for you?" He'd never thought about that until they'd been in the same position, but if HE needed a guardian, then surely Seto did too, right?  
  
If Seto had been holding someone's arm as tightly as he was gripping the door handle now, he surely would have cracked their bones, if not outright broken them. "I'm sui juris." He said laconically.  
  
Joey opened his mouth again.  
  
"No, I'm not going to explain, so don't ask." Seto cut him off gruffly. "Please." He added after, voice harsh, but almost.... pleading? His grip tightened further, and he looked pointedly out the window and away from the blond, feeling the prickle of tears against his eyes, which he adamantly refused to shed. No, he wasn't THAT weak.... He'd never give anybody the satisfaction of breaking down, whether they were dead or alive, especially over the past. It was over; why should still stir him? Why should he cry? It would be pointless. Pointless.... To steady his nerves, and give him something else to think about, Seto took his laptop out of his briefcase, firmly pushing the memories to the back of his mind.  
  
Joey's mouth snapped shut at the request, and he nodded unsteadily, but peered over Seto's shoulder at the screen. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just a bit of unfinished business." Seto took a deep, calming breath, and set himself to work. For several minutes, the only sound filling the backseat was the staccato tap-tap-tap of Seto's fingers deftly moving across the computer keys. He clicked a button to send, mind swirling with thoughts and emotions which he carefully put a mask over. Thank goodness for satellite internet....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Some time later, back at Domino City Children's Shelter, it was time for dinner to be served. A woman knocked on the Director's door. She wore modest clothing, a severe bun, and a pinched expression on her face, which made her look to be somewhere in her 50's. She absolutely abhorred the brats she had to deal with in her job, but unfortunately, was unable to find a better one. "Mr. Dalton?"  
  
"Come in." Mr. Dalton called through the door. He was a squat, stocky man, a tad bit pudgy, with a very pronounced bald spot. "What can I do for you, Miss Price?"  
  
"We're missing a child." She informed him, and had to think to figure out what the boy's name was. "Joseph Wheeler."  
  
He frowned. "Have you checked the rooms?"  
  
"Every one of them, sir." She nodded firmly.  
  
"What about the grounds?"  
  
"With a fine-toothed comb."  
  
"Well, perhaps--" Mr. Dalton was interrupted by a familiar chime from his computer, alerting him to a new message received. At the same time, his fax machine began to hum as it printed out some papers. He opened the email with a frown, and seemed somewhat confused. Why would someone want him to look at his electronic bank account? The director took the papers that he'd been faxed, and read them as he followed the instructions in the email. There a new deposit in his account, one he hadn't made, for.... "Why, that's extravagant....." He breathed in astonishment, but seemed pleased, nonetheless.  
  
"What?" Miss Price demanded, looking alternately at the screen and papers.  
  
"See for yourself." Mr. Dalton showed her the deposit amount, then handed her the papers. "The adoption forms for your missing child, filled out by one Mr. Kaiba." 


	10. Housewarming and Humanity

Back again! ^_^ Anyhow, for those who want to know, "sui juris" is a latin term, meaning that a minor (anyone under 18) was emancipated in court, and legally given the status of an adult. So yes, this is perfectly legal, fan fiction or not. ~_^ And yes, technically it IS incest now.... But in two years, or whenever the dad gets well again (whichever comes first), Seto'll be able to disown him, since he'll be a legal adult, and everything'll be peachy keen jellybean!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
He was furious. Furious at Joey for being there, for being stuck in such a situation, furious at the world of adults for thinking they knew what was best for someone who could plainly tell them otherwise, had they a chance, furious at himself for getting carried away, and not stopping himself.  
  
Gods, he was tired. Why did everything have to be this way?  
  
It was all his fault, he knew. If he'd only pressured Joey to get that phone number and price estimate to him the day they'd spoken, this entire mess wouldn't have happened. If he had been able to just give the damned doctor his cash, Joey's old man would be recovering right now, and there wouldn't have been any trouble. If he'd known....  
  
If, if, if.... Everything was if.... Absolutely everything. You couldn't change the past. He knew that better than anyone; if you could, he would've been first in line.  
  
He hadn't been able to help himself. Knowing where Joey was--once he'd found out-- had gnawed at him inside, a feeling which refused to be ignored. To be forsaken by your relatives.... To be condemned by the world, because of an event you had no control over.... To be torn away from all that was known and loved, just to be thrust into a hostile, desolate alien environment....  
  
One of the few reasons he disliked the family name he'd possessed before Kaiba; all the relatives were heartless miscreants.  
  
He'd tried to resist, for all the good that had done. Tried to go back to work, like a good CEO, to drown his problems under the rustle of papers, scratch of a pen, beeping of a computer. When that hadn't worked, he'd spent some time with Mokuba. Heaven knew that he needed to; he'd been busier than usual, as of late. While playing video games, munching on cookies, and goofing around in general had been fun, he felt bad for being able to enjoy it.  
  
There was someone out there, someone he knew-- and arguably, liked--, who was suffering excommunication from the world at large. Memories troubled him, "What if"s haunted him, and he had finally given in to the guilt.  
  
And now, he was acting out one of the "What if"s he had fantasized about when he was younger. What if someone had come to rescue him, someone who cared? This was what would happen; all he had to do to know was wait and see. He'd just keep Joey out of trouble until the dad recovered, then hand him back, safe and sound. Everybody won. Except for the adults that had landed them in the situation in the first place, but frankly, he didn't give a damn.  
  
The limo pulled up in front of Joey's house, and the blond opened the door. "Thanks a lot, Kaiba. I really mean it; if you ever need a favor or anything...."  
  
"Where do you keep your boxes?"  
  
"Mostly the gara-- wait, why?" Joey raised an eyebrow, confused by the strange question.  
  
"Well, unless you can carry your stuff without them...." Seto intoned, waiting for Joey to see the logic of his statement.  
  
"Wait a minute...." He frowned. "You aren't implying that...."  
  
"You certainly can't stay here, can you?" Seto asked pointedly, attempting to lead Joey along the path of reasoning so he could come to the same conclusion that Seto had. "Not unless you enjoy having adults at your throat for being a minor living alone, without legal permission."  
  
Joey stared. "So you're saying that if I stayed with you.... the same thing wouldn't happen?"  
  
"I'm legally an adult." Seto rolled his eyes. "So I don't see why they would harass you if you were staying with me. They'd have no grounds for it. Think about it; you'd have a roof over your head, food in your mouth, and a way to fend off meddling adults. Once your father is healthy again, I'll disown you, you go home, and everything is back to normal."  
  
"Yeah...." Joey nodded slowly, turning over the idea in his mind. "No catch?"  
  
Seto could have slammed his head against the limo's window in pure frustration. As it was, he just scowled tiredly, raking his long fingers through his chocolate brown hair. "Dog, if I've done this much to save your fleabitten hide without asking anything in return, do you REALLY think I'd start giving you stipulations NOW?"  
  
"Eh-heh....no?" Joey sweatdropped nervously. "Um... maybe I should go pack now."  
  
Seto sighed heavily, then nodded. "You'll have a fully furnished guest room; just take any personal items that you want or need." He let the blond head off to his room, and went to the garage, picking up a few flattened boxes to use.  
  
Meanwhile, Joey sorted through his things, wondering what he should take. Clothes, definitely. And all the regular hygiene items that you'd take on a trip. But still, he didn't want whatever his new room was to be totally bare... He shut the suitcase he'd used for the first two categories mentioned, which was now quite full. Seto had arrived with the boxes, so he started to put things in those. "Hey, could you help take down the posters?"  
  
"You're taking _these_?" Seto asked, tone somewhere between disbelief and amusement as he looked at particularly ridiculous poster. A cow stood on it's hindlegs and held a sign, on which was scribbled "Eet mor chikin."  
  
"Of course!" Joey sounded both shocked and affronted. "I collect posters. They're cool. Don't you do anything like that?"  
  
"I have a small collection of fine art." Seto told him, and peeled off a James Bond movie poster. "Not that I would consider these to be art in any sense of the word. More like rubbish, if you ask me."  
  
"Geez!" Joey shook his head. "You're even stranger than I thought. Most people have _some_ sort of collection or hobby that seems totally stupid or pointless. You don't even act like a human. Should I check your basement to see if I can find a UFO?"  
  
"I wouldn't recommend it; you'd be wasting your time." Seto shrugged. "I'm not very interested in astronomy, anyway. And if something is a waste of time, then why do it?"  
  
"He-llo? Because you _like_ it, maybe?" Joey suggested. "Because it's fun, and gives you something to do when you're bored, and something to talk to your friends about? Not that you would know about THAT, since you don't have any friends."  
  
Seto narrowed his eyes at that comment. "I don't need any; I have Mokuba. Moreover, I don't have time for any, either."  
  
"Well sor-RY, Mr. High-and-Mighty." Joey rolled his eyes. "And what am I, then? Chopped liver?"  
  
"As I happen to be your benefactor right now, you're a liability." Seto retorted crisply. "And I would certainly hope you're not chopped liver; I don't do cannibalism."  
  
"Eeeeww...." Joey wrinkled his nose at the thought. "That's sick."  
  
"You're the one who brought it up." Seto shrugged. He pulled off a poster that had a picture of Joey and Yugi standing next to each other, posing with trophies at Duelist Kingdom. "Your claim to fame, hmm?" He snickered.  
  
"Hey, I didn't see YOU with a trophy then, Kaiba. Besides, everybody deserves their 15 minutes in the spotlight."  
  
"I wasn't working towards anything so trivial as a trophy." Seto shook his head. "Nor were you, I know."  
  
"It's a nice perk, though, don'tcha think?" Joey said, shutting the box he'd been working on.  
  
"If you say so." Seto really didn't care. He looked at the bare walls, then at Joey. "Are we finished here?"  
  
"Yeah." Joey nodded. They had his suitcase, a couple boxes... oh yeah, and his backpack. Too bad he couldn't just forget about school.  
  
"Let's go, then." Seto stacked the boxes, and lifted them easily, leaving Joey with the suitcase and backpack. These were all stuck into the spacious trunk for the short ride back to the mansion.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
They put the things on the porch, and unlocked the door. Mokuba had apparently been expecting them, and came out as soon as the door was unlocked, in a flying tackle. "Big brother!"  
  
Seto knelt, catching him before he could knock them both over, and hugging the smaller boy tightly. "I'm glad to see you too, Mokuba."  
  
"You were out longer than you said!" Mokuba accused, wrapping his arms around Seto's neck tightly and snuggling in his hold.  
  
"Sorry." Seto ruffled his hair, letting him go. "I had some unfinished business to do."  
  
"You should tell me first." Mokuba said sternly, though he was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Mokuba, sir." Seto gave him a mock salute, standing up.  
  
"Hey, how come Joey's here? And what's with all the stuff?" Mokuba attempted to open one of the boxes.  
  
Seto's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know how I told you that you could have a pet someday?" He winked. "Well, guess who's back?"  
  
"Rusty!" Mokuba exclaimed, giggling. He bounced over to hug Joey's leg.  
  
"Ack!" Not this again! He was NOT a pet! Joey smiled in spite of himself at Mokuba's enthusiasm. "How ya doing, super squirt?"  
  
"I'm not a squirt!"  
  
"Of course you aren't; you're a super squirt! They're new and improved, you know." He grinned.  
  
"If I'm a squirt, then you're a puppy." Mokuba stuck his tongue out, having obviously learned some of the nicknames that his older brother referred to Joey by.  
  
"Am not." Joey shook his head.  
  
"Then I'm not a squirt." Mokuba insisted.  
  
"You are so a squirt."  
  
"Then you're a puppy!" Mokuba grinned.  
  
"Nu-uh." Joey gently pried Mokuba off of his leg. "I'm just gonna stay with you guys for a while."  
  
"How come?" He went back to stand beside Seto.  
  
"Long story, kiddo." Joey shook his head. "I'll tell you later."  
  
"Okay." Mokuba agreed, and picked up the box with posters in it, one of the lighter ones. "But you ARE gonna tell me later, 'cause you said so. Should we get these inside?"  
  
Seto nodded, and picked up the rest of the boxes. "Let's. While I'm fixing dinner, you can get me that phone number and cash estimate that you promised."  
  
Joey made a pronounced gagging sound. "Gee, I can't wait...."  
  
"You know, stray dogs eat out of dumpsters..." Seto threatened.  
  
"Um... I think I'll try out your cooking." Joey said hastily. He didn't doubt that Seto would carry out the threat, if he felt so inclined.  
  
"I figured as much." Seto smirked a little, and waited for the other two to go ahead of him before he went, shutting the door behind him.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Yes, sir. I'm calling about the Wheeler case." Seto spoke into his phone, sitting behind his desk with a planner in hand.  
  
"Of course it's authorized. I'm his legal guardian." He rolled his eyes a little. "I can bring you the verification papers once we meet."  
  
"Irrelevant." He combed his fingers through his thick brown hair, wishing the man would just cut to the chase. "I can afford to pay for the full treatment, for as long as necessary. I also have medical insurance." Which would help take the sting off whatever monstrous sum this would all add up to. He didn't mind; he HAD made a promise, after all, but the doctor sounded like he was blowing things out of proportions. He _hated_ it when people exaggerated prices.... Just give an accurate, precise quote, and be done with it!  
  
"Very well." He jotted down a few notes on a piece of scratch paper. "And when are you available for an appointment?" Even with one hand, Seto quickly thumbed through to the current date, and started looking ahead. "Say tomorrow, at 3:30 PM?"  
  
"No? Alright, are you free....." He looked for another appropriate time. "Next Monday, at 5:00 PM?"  
  
"Excellent." He jotted down the appointment. "I look forward to it. Have a good night." He hung up the phone, and resisted the urge to bang his head against the desk. He didn't want to ruin the thing, after all, and he didn't know how difficult it was to get bloodstains off of wood. But REALLY, those sorts of professionals frustrated him to no end. Pompous, technical windbags, with exaggerated ideas of their own self-importance and worth, and inflated egos revolving around any work they'd contributed to their field.  
  
Seto picked up a small, dagger-shaped letter opener, admiring the gleam of metal off the flat surfaces and dull edges. He'd just love to burst one of their bubbles.... But enough about them; he wouldn't have to deal with their sort-- hopefully-- until next Monday. A 3 day reprieve. Good enough for him.  
  
The CEO set aside his planner, and instead took up some paperwork to look over, glancing at the clock. About time to go to sleep. It was Friday though, so maybe he could fit in a little work before then. Then again, if he hadn't been mistaken, Mokuba had been wearing his "sneaky" grin, as Seto thought of it, for the entire evening. That meant he was definitely up to something.  
  
....Which meant that Seto would need to get to bed and get a little sleep, if he knew what was good for him, before whatever Mokuba's scheme was had been put into action. 


	11. Mind of a Child

I'm really, REALLY sorry this chapter took so long! O_O *Gives everyone chibi Joeys* I hate school, can you tell? It's sucking away my time, and I'm not learning anything important, even! This is just ridiculous, and _definitely_ unfair for you guys. Thankfully though, this story promises to draw to a close sometime soon, so hopefully I'll be able to rush along and get up the next parts as quickly as possible. I intend to focus on this for the time being, instead of my other stuff, which'll definitely help. Once more, sorry! ^^;;;;  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"BANZAAAAAAI!"  
  
"Wha?!" Seto sat bolt upright, eyes snapping open as he heard the shout. He wasn't quite fast enough, however, and the wind was knocked out of him as a blue-black blur landed on his stomach, forcing him to lay back down.  
  
"Mokuba!" Seto took a moment to catch his breath, shaking his head at the overly enthusiastic 12 year old sitting on his stomach, giggling gleefully at his successful prank.  
  
"Good morning!" Mokuba chirped sunnily, eyes sparkling. He scooted backwards into Seto's lap so his older brother could sit up, then hugged him.  
  
Seto let out a low groan, looking at the alarm clock groggily. "Mokuba, it's 5 AM on a Saturday morning...." Not even HE got up that early on a weekend!  
  
"I know." Mokuba beamed. "Today's gonna be GREAT!" It was painfully obvious that he was a morning person.  
  
Seto yawned widely. "Do tell." He mumbled. "What's so special about today?"  
  
"You're gonna take us to the park today, silly! That's what's so special!" Mokuba smiled at Seto indulgently.  
  
"Oh, alright, then." Seto murmured, and wrapped one arm around Mokuba to hug him, the other rubbing his eyes. "I thought it was something important."  
  
He hugged Mokuba for a moment or two, still in a sleepy "all's-right-with- the-world" sort of daze. It lasted for nearly a half minute before Seto did a double-take. "Say _what_?"  
  
"You're going to take us to the park today!" Mokuba repeated brightly, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "I've got it all planned out."  
  
"Umm." Seto mumbled, desperately in need of coffee to wake up at such an obscenely, absurdly early hour. "You do?"  
  
"I do." Mokuba repeated insistently. "First, you're gonna shower and get dressed, then you're gonna cook breakfast...."  
  
"Now?" Seto asked incredulously, running a hand through his messy brown hair, mussed from sleep.  
  
"Now." Mokuba repeated happily. "Cause I don't think you'll be going back to sleep anytime soon."  
  
Seto yawned again, recognizing that he was defeated. "Alright, you. Off." He slurred, and swatted at Mokuba halfheartedly. The boy scrambled off of his lap with a triumphant laugh, his light and dark blue pinstriped pajamas rustling as he went.  
  
Seto slid out from under the warm haven of the covers with a groan of protest, and painstakingly stood up. Rather than pajamas, he was wearing a pair of midnight blue, silky boxers, and nothing else, leaving his well- toned chest and stomach exposed for all to see, and fangirls to drool over. He headed towards the bathroom, finding himself tired enough to need to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "What do you plan for me to wear, then?" Mokuba seemed to have everything figured out, this morning. Couldn't he have waited just a little bit longer, though?  
  
"Jeans and a T-shirt." Mokuba supplied smugly. "And no coat. You're gonna get dirty." Yep, he'd planned it ALL out.  
  
"Mm." Seto slipped out of his boxers, opening the shower door. "Why?"  
  
"Cause I said so." Mokuba's grin was one of fiendish delight, a mischievous glee dancing in his jade green eyes.  
  
"Uh-huh." Seto agreed simply as he turned on the water, and let out a hiss as the icy spray hit him. "You wake the mutt up. I'll be out soon."  
  
"Okay!" Mokuba skipped off dutifully, intent on carrying out his task.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Rustyyyyyyyyy!" Mokuba squealed hyperactively, flinging himself onto the bed for a flying glomp.  
  
"Mrrn?!" Joey exclaimed, having woken up with a mouthful of Mokuba's blue- black mane of hair. Not a good way to start the day.  
  
"Good morning!" Mokuba cuddled him happily.  
  
"Mrrrmngh." Joey responded, and spat out the hair, hardly able to keep his eyes open. He took one look at the guest room's clock, groaned, and sank back down into bed. Sleeeeeeeeeeep......!  
  
"Up!" Mokuba commanded, and started dragging the covers off the bed.  
  
"Nnnnnngh....." Joey whined, and curled up to try and preserve body heat, wearing a pair of lime green pajamas.  
  
"C'mooooooon!" Mokuba flipped on the lights, which caused Joey to bury his face into the pillow protectively. Needless to say, Mokuba immediately went for it, and a tug-of-war ensued.  
  
Joey flopped back onto the bed as the pillow was yanked out of his grasp. "Whaddya waaaaant?" He rubbed his eyes, quite unhappy with being awake so early.  
  
"Big brother told me to get you up." Mokuba replied brightly, giggling at the expression on Joey's face.  
  
"Mmm, your brother isn't clinically insane, is he?" Joey reached for the covers again, to drag them back onto the bed.  
  
"Nope!" Mokuba shook his head, and leapt into the pile of blankets like one would a pile of leaves in autumn, to prevent Joey from taking them back.  
  
"Then you are." Joey accused.  
  
"Nu-uh." Mokuba disagreed. "We're going to the park today, so you gotta go shower and get dressed so we can have breakfast and go." With that, he grabbed hold of Joey's pajamas, and attempted to drag him out of bed by the ankles.  
  
"Hey, hey! Cut that out!" Joey yelped, and grabbed the waistband of his pajamas, in serious danger of losing his pants. "I'm going, I'm going.... Crazy kid....." Joey grumbled, yawning as he finally stood up, heading for the bathroom the bedroom was connected to. "Why're you awake so early?"  
  
"We're going to the park today!" Mokuba cheerfully shepherded Joey into the bathroom.  
  
"....And that's a big enough deal to wake up at 5:15?" Joey groaned. "Mokuba, kiddo, you're great, but you REALLY need to get out more often....." He shut the door, and the sound of running water soon began.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Once everybody had showered, dressed, and eaten, they managed to get to the park quickly. "We have the ENTIRE day to have fun!" Mokuba declared, overjoyed.  
  
"Mokuba, I do have work I need to get done later in the day..." Seto reminded.  
  
"Later." Mokuba repeated, stressing the word. "Like maybe tomorrow! Today, you're going to have fun, and not worry, because I _said so_!" The last part was spoken with surprising firmness, and with that, he hugged Seto around the waist, then gave him a gentle shove into the park.  
  
Joey shook his head and chuckled, following the pair. "He's got you there, Kaiba. You won't be getting away from him anytime soon."  
  
"Bah." Seto rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "I should've known. What did you plan for us to do now, you little scoundrel?"  
  
Mokuba headed towards a clump of bushes that he'd paid a visit to that morning, even earlier than when he'd woke up the others, and pulled the cover off of a large bucket. He scooped out two balloons, each sloshing with the movement, and flung them with expert aim. "This!"  
  
"Ack!"  
  
"Hey!" The boys let out twin yelps of surprise as they were pelted.  
  
"What IS this stuff?!" Joey began to rub furiously at a bright orange splotch on his shirt, which only spread, smearing a generous portion onto his hands.  
  
Mokuba was nearly doubled over laughing, as Seto studied a sky blue paint splatter all over his shirt front, with some even speckled on one sleeve. "It's paint! What did you think it was?" Giggling, he took up two more to throw. "Can't get me!"  
  
SPLAT! SPLAT!  
  
Seto gained a sunny yellow stain on his jeans and the lower part of his shirt, some of which had mixed with the earlier blue to make a very nice shade of green. Joey, meanwhile, had flung up an arm to protect himself, and now was a redhead, with a large smear of the same color along the length of his arm. The drycleaning bills for this would be astronomical.... "What're ya waiting for, Kaiba? You heard the kid!" Joey plunged towards the bushes.  
  
"You to go." Seto joined in the chase, though he stayed behind him. "You're the shield, after all."  
  
"Hey, hey! He IS your brother!"  
  
"Obviously." Seto retorted, and ducked behind Joey as another volley came their way, letting him take both paint-bombs, one a lime green, and the other a dark brown.  
  
"You cheat!" Joey exclaimed, to neither in particular, and dove in.  
  
"Ack!" Mokuba grabbed his bucket, and tried to run, but was grabbed from behind. "Hey, super squirt. How about we work together?"  
  
Mokuba grinned. "Deal."  
  
"Great." Joey picked up a balloon, and winked, holding up three fingers, starting to count down. As he finished, both of them lobbed their missiles. "Yes!"  
  
"Gah!" Seto took one full in the face, and the other to the gut. He turned, spitting out some of the neon pink paint that had been splashed all over his face and hair, and purple paint ran down his jean legs.  
  
"Got him!" Joey cheered, high-fiving Mokuba. "But he'll be here in a minute, so we'd better leave bef--"  
  
"Before he gets us?" Seto supplied, and scooped up a balloon in each hand from the bucket, dropping them on each conspirator's head.  
  
"No!" Mokuba let out a little yelp, his long black hair now plastered with white paint.  
  
"Yuck!" Joey looked grossed out, as black paint started oozing down the back of his neck and down into his shirt.  
  
"You talk too much." He picked up the bucket with a small smirk, and tossed another projectile, sending them scrambling. This one managed to hit Joey squarely in the backside, bursting in a shower of salmon colored goo. The CEO chased after them, laughing.  
  
Joey nearly stopped in his tracks at that. This was the first time he'd ever heard Seto laugh, except for the sarcastic triumphant snickers of an expert duelist taunting his beaten opponent. Hell, this was the first time he'd seen the guy _actually_ SMILE, and not just smirk. He was starting to like this side of Kaiba a lot more than the one he usually knew.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Some time later, the last balloons had been expended, and they were right back where they'd started. "Well, aren't we a sight to see...." Seto chuckled dryly, looking down at his stained clothes. "What now?"  
  
"Easy, we clean up!" Mokuba laughed, and ducked behind the bushes, this time reaching under them. "Big brother, catch!"  
  
Seto turned, and reached out for whatever was being thrown to him, finding a large Supersoaker landing firmly in his grasp. "You don't mean to say...."  
  
"Ow! Watch it!" Joey winced as the gun bonked him on the head, then bent to retrieve it.  
  
"I do." Mokuba agreed. A devious grin passed between them, and they both turned on Joey, firing.  
  
"GAH!" Joey jumped a good three feet, eyes wide. "That stuff's COLD!"  
  
"I always knew you were washed up." Seto smirked.  
  
"That's pretty low, Kaiba." Joey returned fire, soaking his shirt.  
  
"Oh, is it? Then I'll aim higher." Seto brought the gun up to his shoulder, executioner style, took aim, and fired, the icy stream nailing Joey between the eyes.  
  
"Gotcha!" While the two were bantering, Mokuba had fired at Joey too, the first spot of wetness blooming directly over his heart, before the rest of his shirt fell victim to the freezing water.  
  
Seto shook his gun a little, and heard it rattle. "Ice cubes? Very intuitive." The brothers exchanged grins, and were on the attack again.  
  
"Hey, you want me? Gotta catch me, first!" Joey ducked out of sight as he fled.  
  
"Hmmm...." Mokuba looked around, assessing all the cover that the park provided.  
  
"I'll go after him; you stay here in case he comes back?" Seto suggested. Receiving a nod and a thumbs up, Seto slunk off, looking very much like a hunting cat. .....A soaked, dripping, paint-splattered hunting cat, but a hunting cat nonetheless.  
  
Meanwhile, Joey had doubled back after he had gone a fair distance, knowing he would be followed, and just caught sight of Seto as the CEO strode towards the tree he was hiding behind, looking around purposefully. "Hah!" Deciding to turn the tables on him, Joey leapt out and fired his squirt gun. He slid on a patch of slick grass, which was in a puddle of diluted paint, and crashed into his target.  
  
Not expecting to have to support both their weight, Seto fell, Supersoaker spinning across the ground as he landed hard on his back, Joey sprawled on top of him. In the utterly cliché position of romance stories, Joey had landed between Seto's legs, faces a bare inch or so away from Seto's as he stared into dusky sapphire eyes. Well, this was... awkward.....  
  
He could feel Seto beneath him, the subtle interplay of muscles rippling just beneath velvety skin. It felt strange, but what took his breath away the most was that..... Seto was.... cold....  
  
Joey shivered in spite of himself. While he was flushed and hot, drenched with sweat from running around so much, the day's exertions had only added a soft, rosy glow to Seto's ivory skin-- at least, what he could see of it beneath the paint. Only the faintest hint of heat radiated from the taller teen's body, probably from the exercise. Besides that.... Seto was deathly cold, as though he were laying on top of a corpse. Or some sort of alien.... but definitely not a human. What was with Seto, anyway? How could he be so.... different?  
  
Seto was barely even shifting beneath him to breath, seeming no more winded than if he'd only just gotten out of bed. Joey was still panting, trying to recover from the surprise of the fall. He felt an odd sort of pity. Did Seto.... miss being like people? Was it very hard to be so different? Mokuba wasn't like him. Neither was anybody that Joey could think of. Only him... It was like he was unaffected by everything the world could throw at him....  
  
But he could certainly affect the world.  
  
Joey smiled weakly at the thought. While Seto seemed to rise above and beyond worldly troubles, he could and did affect lowly mortals.... like him. Joey had enjoyed this day more than he ever thought possible, so far. Seto seemed more human than he'd ever been before, and it was oddly thrilling to be able to take part in it. He and Mokuba were helping Seto to come out, in a sense, as if he were being born again....  
  
He'd do it.  
  
It felt.... right, just like laying here did. He was supposed to be doing this. He wanted to be doing this. It was a way to get closer, to the one person he'd presumed was inapproachable. How wrong he'd been.... He would help show Seto what it was like to be a human again, how to be happy. The guy hardly ever smiled or laughed, for heaven's sake; how COULD he be happy? Seto needed someone to care for and be cared for by, someone to show him the way and stay by his side....  
  
Couldn't that someone be him?  
  
"You're heavier than I expected, pup." Seto's voice startled him back into reality, soft and deep, a little subdued. He could feel the sounds vibrating up through Seto's chest, and the breath tickling against his ear. It was hard to believe they were this close....  
  
Joey could feel his cheeks flame with heat, as he blushed scarlet. "I... It's all muscle."  
  
"I might've guessed." Seto raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. His expression was rather unreadable.  
  
"Y-yeah?" Joey's responded, starting to feel embarrassed. He should've gotten up a long time ago.... Seto would think he was a pervert or something, now!  
  
"That's right." Seto agreed. He hesitated for a moment. "We'd better get going; Mokuba is waiting for us." His arms wrapped securely around Joey's waist, and he propped himself onto his elbows, using a single, smooth push to lever himself into a kneeling position. Seto stood up, then set Joey back down on his feet. "Come on."  
  
"Uh...." Joey's breath caught in his throat, and he blushed harder, not expecting to discover quite so intimately how strong Seto really was. Seto's arms encircled him protectively, and he could feel the how comfortingly solid the chest he was pulled against was. Joey wobbled on his feet as he was set down, and he had to shake off his surprise to stand normally, fetching their Supersoakers. "Thanks."  
  
"Anytime." Seto gave him a nod, and walked off, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the blond was coming.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Once they had gotten back together, Mokuba, the sneaky boy that he was, had pulled a picnic basket from the bush he'd hidden the squirt guns and paint balloons in. Just HOW early had he gotten up to do all of that? Joey had immediately tried to pounce on the food, though the two Kaiba brothers had promptly chased him off, fending him away until they could at least spread the blanket to put it down on. Once that was done, Joey dug into his portion. Seto sat down next to Mokuba, and started to eat more slowly, taking in the scenery around them. His eyes always returned to the group, though, thoughtful. They lingered on Joey in particular.  
  
He'd felt the boy's unease. Seen flow of emotions across his face, so painfully obvious that he was deep in thought. What he hadn't been able to see, though, what was he had been thinking about. Joey wore a mask, and it was a good one, though it wasn't nearly as good as Seto's own. They were two of a kind, it seemed.  
  
What did Joey wear such a mask for? What could he possibly have to hide? Seto could guess his father might've played a part in it. Just as his had. Abuse, perhaps? He didn't know. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to ask. That was private and personal information, he knew. Nobody liked sharing their pasts, unless they were just perfectly idyllic. Nobody had that sort of life; even the most tempting rose has it's thorns.  
  
Joey.... Joey was strange. He seemed so simple! It had to be to hide something else, right? Just look at him.... He ate, he went to school, he hung out with his friends, he went home. He wore his heart on his sleeve. There was nothing to that sort of life. It was.... well.... too easy. Too simple. There had to be more, because he knew there was something else in there. Joey wasn't an energetic goofball with a bottomless stomach and a ready laugh, no matter how much he looked and acted the part. He was hiding.... closing himself off behind a mask of openness. Shielding himself behind vulnerability. Strange, since it didn't seem as if it should be able to work.... but it did. And that, in and of itself, was astonishing. Ingenious. What did it take to be that way? How could he take that sort of risk, when he might be exposed?  
  
He wouldn't LET Joey be exposed. It would be wrong. He was sheltering the boy now, and that meant shielding him, too. Joey was a Kaiba, for the time being, and Kaibas stood together. A small smile reached Seto's lips, and his eyes lingered on Joey, slowly gaining the fierce, protective watchfulness he had previously extended only to Mokuba.  
  
Joey was part of the family now, a Kaiba. Kaibas watched each others' backs. Kaibas cared for each other, loved each other, because family was the one of the only things a Kaiba could truly depend on.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Sometime later, Joey started helping the others pack up the remainder of their picnic. It was late afternoon, now, bordering on early evening, and the mosquitoes were beginning to come out. He couldn't help but notice Seto, though, looking around with an almost hawk-like intensity, but always, always returning his gaze to them. It made him shiver. Seto was looking at him the same way he looked at Mokuba.... Protective, possessive. Like a lion defending his pride and territory. A wolf looking out for his pack. It scared him out of his wits, but at the same time imparted an inexplicable warmth. Seto accepted him. He belonged.... Belonged to what felt like a family more real than his own, already, when he had lived with them for less than a day. A family that stuck together through thick and thin, that loved each other more than anything, that would fight to the last breath rather than allow themselves to be separated. He was part of that, and it couldn't have felt more wonderful.  
  
But at the same time, it concerned him. Seto was so wary... So watchful.... So TENSE. Couldn't he just relax? Nobody was going to get them! They were all fine! Strangers weren't going to steal them out from under his nose. Seto was just worrying too much. That couldn't be good for his health. The guy had been fine earlier on, when they'd been playing around. He had been happy. Had obviously been enjoying himself.  
  
That was it! That was the key. Seto HAD to be busy. He just couldn't cope any other way. It was as if there was a fire burning inside him, or a rat crouched in his gut, gnawing at him, only noticeable when Seto could really sit down and pay attention to it. So he didn't. He busied himself, to not feel the anxiety, the self-doubt, the guilt.... but for what?  
  
He UNDERSTOOD. Maybe not the why, but the what. That was the first step, identifying the problem. Second was learning about it, so you could solve it.  
  
It unsettled him as he climbed into the limo after the other boys, still damp and paint smeared. Now that he knew.... what did he do?  
  
He had to find out more.  
  
But how? 


	12. Artificial Intelligence?

Well, I'm back earlier than I last was, at least. =P Rejoice! Anyhow, there's something wrong with this chapter, but I can't quite put my finger on it. *shrug* I don't have time to worry about it though, cause I'm halfway into finals week and going INSANE..... But I figured I'd get this up, so I'd be able to read comments and avoid studying! =D So review lots so I can procrastinate! Oh yeah, and enjoy it if you can. Thanks for reading guys, you all make my day. ^_^ *gives out caffeine and sugar*  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The footsteps faded into nothing, as the door behind them closed quietly. Joey ignored the retreating nurse, and sat beside the bed. The blond boy had taken one of his father's cold hands, aghast at the tubes and needles in it, the machines he was hooked up to. There was no sour stench of alcohol hovering around the man; the noxious cloud was replaced by the sterile, clinical smell of disinfectant and medicine, an alien scent that stung his nose viciously. He never had liked hospitals much, and this was no exception. His free hand lifted the clipboard.  
  
Diagnosis: Alcohol Poisoning  
  
Status: Comatose  
  
Treatment Administered: Intravenous Feeding (stimulants, antitoxins, nutrients, water), Artificial Filtration (kidneys, liver)  
  
Notes: Extensive liver damage, possibly cirrhosis. Condition unstable. Uncertain if revival is possible....  
  
There was more on the clipboard, much more, but Joey didn't want to see it. Hot tears stung at the corners of his eyes, and he held them in, swallowing back the pain. In its place, maybe what it had changed into, was rage. Fury blazed in his dark amber eyes, snapping and burning like firelight, and he threw the clipboard away from him, as hard as he could. There was a slight metallic clang as the clip hit the floor, and it bounced, skidding across the room to land under a bed in the far corner. The hand that had held it closed convulsively into a fist, and his face had undergone a frightening change, his features pulled into a savage snarl.  
  
Why did it have to be this way? Why HIM?! For God's sake..... why did it have to be him.....  
  
It wasn't his fault..... He didn't deserve this. Never had, and never would.  
  
He'd been a business man, Joey could remember. A manager with a corner office, not very high on the corporate ladder, but somewhere comfortably in the middle. A social drinker, mostly during lunch appointments with clients. A hard-working man, a kind father, and a loving husband. The former, unfortunately, had been his undoing; he had worked TOO hard. The company had started to downsize people, due to some tough times, and his father had been having friction with some higher-ups. Not a good combination; the stress and uncertainty had daily taken its toll. He was seeing his family less and less, and eventually, started drinking.  
  
He hadn't been a lazy drunk. Not the sort to tip over and fall asleep on the floor. Not a weepy one, either; he was a belligerent drunk, always spoiling for a fight and finding faults with others. He'd started to blame his family for his troubles, going so far as to even striking his wife and children. Not Serenity, though; Joey had always interposed himself between them. Always. He hadn't cared how much it hurt; in a way, he hardly felt it physically, so consumed with his inner turmoil of confusion and disbelief. He had known at the time that his father was a good man. He'd loved him. Didn't his father love them back? He hadn't conceived that it was even possible for his father to even THINK about doing stuff like this.  
  
Joey had been 11 when his mother had started putting boxes into her car. He had helped her load them, though he hadn't known what they were, or where they were going, or what they were for. He had seen the papers she had put into the car, with a letterhead reading "Domino Women's Center". She had gotten Serenity into the car, and gotten in herself. He'd ran after them to get in too, hearing the distinctive click of car doors locking, devastated when they had started driving away without him. He didn't know what his mother had said, but he had heard perfectly well when his sister had pressed herself against the back window, eyes wide and teary as she called to him. He'd shouted back to her, tried to follow them. The departure had been given an unsettling feeling of permanence in his young mind, and he'd been frightened to death. After that, things had only gotten worse. The drinking hadn't been overly prevalent; just a bit each night, enough to get him intoxicated; after that, his father started drinking more often, and more of it. It escalated further when he finally was indeed fired from his job. The man was practically swimming in alcohol that night; Joey still had a scar from then, right behind his left ear, where he'd fallen and hit the back of his head on a corner of the coffee table trying to get away.  
  
"You're going to get through this." Joey asserted, his voice quiet but strained, quavering as he tried to hold the emotion in. "You're going to wake up soon, and things'll be different. Like they were before. You were always strong. You told me that's what counted more than anything." Again, the rage, surging up and threatening to choke him, pushing up more tears that he refused to shed. "Dammit, you promised me that you'd always be there!" His voice had more conviction now, a vicious, spiteful hiss of wounded trust and misery. "Well where the HELL are you now?!"  
  
He wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to destroy something. He wanted to obliterate something, anything; annihilate it so utterly and completely that there wouldn't even be ashes left. He wanted to make this pain just go away, toss it into someone else's lap and let them deal with it. Somebody up there must've never liked him. This wasn't FAIR!  
  
Joey jumped as he felt a hand come to rest on a shoulder, long, pale fingers curling to conform to the curve of his shoulder. "Wh-what?" He looked up into sharp, cold blue eyes, softer and warmer than he'd ever seen them before. He watched Seto hang the clipboard back at the foot of the bed- - he'd apparently gone to retrieve it, but Joey hadn't seen him do it. He hadn't been seeing much of anything, just lost in his own world.  
  
"I think that we should be going now." Seto told him, and his tone brooked no argument. No, Joey hadn't had the privacy he'd needed; that was life. You always had something watch you, and you never did have what you needed; you just had to make do. While it was good to get it out and mourn a little, Seto knew it wasn't healthy to do it much, which was why he had interrupted while there was a lull. Thinking about things extensively like this made it worse; he knew all too well about that. He'd gone through the same thing, but for him, there hadn't been a second chance. There wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel, promising that his father would "wake up someday". There had only been the cold, hard truth. And at times like this, you shouldn't dwell on a dead--or rather, half-dead--person, you should spend some time with a living person to get it all out of your system so it didn't overwhelm you. Still holding Joey's shoulder, Seto guided Joey out of the room, closing the door behind him, and the pair headed out to the limo.  
  
Joey, numb for the most part, allowed himself to be led along like a good little puppy, and sat down in the car, conscious of Seto's arm draped over his shoulders. Nothing was said; he was just..... there...... a silent human contact, making himself known and understood through a simple touch. Sighing lightly, the Joey leaned into his companion's arm, forcing himself to think about nothing in particular. It'd all be okay... Dad would wake up soon....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Now that they were back home--had he just called the mansion HOME?! Strange thought. A little frightening, thinking of this huge, monstrous place as a home. But it felt like home, now. A second home, even better than the first one, because he had a family here. The house he lived in now--or, used to live in--had never felt like a home; it was a shabby little place they'd had to rent to, because his father had never found work after he'd been laid off, and they couldn't afford to keep paying for the one they'd had when the whole family was together.  
  
But back to the subject, now that they were home, he had to brave fighting the terrible monster known as homework. Research, actually. A one page paper on the space race during the Cold War. Double spaced, no less. So it wasn't THAT bad. Joey dropped his history book on the desk, and flipped on Seto's computer, waiting for it to boot up. A log in screen popped up, requesting a user name and password. Joey winced, realizing he'd forgotten to ask Seto to tell him how to access the computer. He knew that there was probably sensitive stuff on here, but wasn't there a mode for Mokuba to play games or something that he could use? Shrugging to himself, Joey typed in "Guest" for the user name, and left the password blank. The computer flashed a window at him telling him it was an invalid user name/password combination. "Stupid computer....."  
  
"Excuse me?" Came a response, straddling the line between amusement and indignance. It was a soft, feminine voice, melodic but assertive and business-like.  
  
"Wha?" Joey sat up straight, looking around. Did the Kaibas have a live-in maid, or something? He'd seen neither hide nor hair of anything female in this place. "Who was that?"  
  
There was a soft tinkle of laughter, with a slightly derisive edge to it. "Me."  
  
"Who is 'me'?" Joey asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance as he spun in the swivel chair. "Why don't you come out where I can see you?"  
  
"My name is Ai. And if you want to see me, turn around. There's a good boy!" The voice encouraged, as though coaxing a puppy to sit up for a treat.  
  
Joey made a 180 turn, finding himself looking at the computer monitor again. "Oh, very funny. If you're hiding behind this, get your tail out here NOW. And I'm NOT a dog!" He issued a low growl with this statement.  
  
"I'm sorry, Joseph." Ai sounded almost apologetic. "I thought you had ordinary vision faculties. You are looking at me, though; I cannot 'come out' when I lack something obscuring me from your line of sight."  
  
"....So you're trying to tell me that this is you?" He tapped the corner of the monitor dubiously. "Don't be ridiculous, lady."  
  
"You're very stubborn, Joseph." Ai observed with a long-suffering sigh. "What would be an acceptable way to prove to you my identity?"  
  
"How about making this stupid thing log in, if you're a computer? Yeesh, I don't believe I'm arguing with a disembodied voice..." Joey complained. "And call me Joey." He added, as an afterthought.  
  
"Very well, Joey." She acknowledged. The little light indicating that the monitor was on suddenly darkened, and the screen faded into black. A few moments later, the screen brightened again, to reveal a desktop.  
  
"Woah, woah...." Joey leaned forward, staring at the multitude of icons. ".....Cool." So that was it; he was talking to a computer. That was pretty weird. "So how come you can talk and see me and everything?" The computers at school never did anything like THIS.... "Is this like a big eyeball or something?" He gestured toward the monitor.  
  
"I monitor the security systems throughout the mansion and grounds." Ai informed him. "That enables me to see all that goes on in the premises. The speakers this computer is connected to allows me to speak."  
  
"Yeah, but computers don't usually just.... up and decide to start a conversation, y'know?" Joey spun his hand in a circle, trying to emphasize his point. "You're not.... well.... dead, but you sure as hell ain't alive, either."  
  
"Acknowledged." Ai agreed. "I am an Artificial Intelligence program, written by one Seto Kaiba. I am not a computer; I merely inhabit one."  
  
It suddenly clicked together. Ai. Love. That made sense; One of Seto's main loves was obviously technology; he'd never known the brunet to be a punster, though. "....Oh. Um, that's.... cool. What do you look like? I mean, if you do look like anything....." What a weird question.  
  
"One moment." Ai sounded almost as puzzled as he did, but the Start menu opened up, selecting a paint program, and Joey could only watch as the computer went to work by itself.In short order, the program had produced an image of a young woman with a modest figure, tall and slim. Her skin was a deathly pale white, her hair was a long, wavy blue-black, cascading down to mid-back, and she had fierce, penetrating blue eyes. Her clothes were rather formal: a navy blue trenchcoat trimmed with green, a green dress shirt of the same shade, and matching navy slacks and shoes. In short, Ai looked like a cross of Mokuba and Seto's genes, given female form. She also seemed to be smiling. The window minimized itself so that only the picture was visible, and anchored to the top-right corner of the screen. "Is that better?"  
  
"Yeah." Joey agreed, with a small grin. "That's pretty cool. You're a good artist."  
  
"Affirmative." Ai agreed simply. Computer programs had no need to be modest.  
  
"So.... Why'd Seto make you, anyhow?" Joey leaned on an elbow against the desk, resting his chin on his hand. "Just someone to talk to while he worked?" Couldn't he have used Mokuba for that? Heaven knew the two were already so close they were practically Siamese twins.  
  
"I was created to constantly and intelligently monitor all aspects of the Kaiba Mansion's security, and function as a safeguard against error and intrusion." She sounded like that response had been programmed in.  
  
"C'mon. I mean really why. He might've told you to say that, but is that really what you think you were for?" Joey pressed. Ai had proven she could think, to some extent, and act on her own. He wanted to know if she had opinions, too. Besides that, it really seemed like Seto wouldn't have put so much effort into making her seem so.... human..... if she was just for security.  
  
"Well...." Ai hesitated, as though trying to find the best way to put her thoughts into words. Strange to see a computer unsure of itself. "I believe he did create me for that, but that it was not the sole reason."  
  
"Go on." Joey encouraged.  
  
"I think...." Ai seemed reluctant to impart her electronic opinion. "I believe that I'm a caretaker. Not only making sure the mansion is safe and sound, but that he is, as well. He takes me into his confidence, to a degree that I've never seen him use otherwise, even with his younger brother."  
  
"Only you..... you, a computer, over Mokuba? An electronic gizmo over the kid whose supported him for most of his life?" There was a bit of dismay in Joey's voice, and more than a little skepticism.  
  
"Only me, over Mokuba." Ai confirmed, not venturing to add any more insight to their speculations.  
  
"And he must've built you specifically for that reason, too." Joey hypothesized. "Just so he can talk to you. Tell you things that he doesn't tell anyone else....." His eyes lit up. "Because you wouldn't tell anybody, right? You're just a computer program. A bunch of lines of code. You'd keep it all to yourself, and you wouldn't hold it against him. How could a bunch of zeros and ones hold things against people?" He was warming up to the theory, now. "He probably never thought you would have a reason, if you could at all. He doesn't have to prove anything to you, or have an image to hold up. Machines don't care about that sort of thing. You.... you would be the only thing--person--he could really be himself around."  
  
After all, why else would Seto not just talk to Mokuba about these things, when the kid obviously loved him no matter what? He had a reputation to maintain. He had to be a rolemodel. And most of all, he wouldn't want Mokuba to worry about him. And since computers weren't supposed to have feelings, or free will, or their own thoughts.... well, what--or who-- better to bare it all to?  
  
"I resent that." Ai informed him flatly.  
  
"Sorry, sorry...." He patted the monitor consolingly. "But what do you think? Am I right?"  
  
"You're left." It sounded as though Ai was laughing. "Yes, you do have a point. What are you trying to get at?"  
  
Joey scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Well, I was wondering, what sort of stuff does he tell you? He'd bite my head off if I said it to his face, but between you and me, I think he's driving himself nuts. And I think you agree with me, too; otherwise, you wouldn't have stayed on the topic for so long."  
  
"I'm only a computer program." Ai reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, and those follow orders by the people using em. So what if I command you to tell me?"  
  
"I'd tell you to go waste your time on something more constructive; I don't do blind obedience."  
  
"Geez, touchy...." Joey raised an eyebrow. "And how about if I just ask you? I'm guessing his continued sanity is in your best interest, right?"  
  
"Whatever comes to his mind, I believe." Ai answered finally, after several minutes of silence. "That, and he keeps a journal."  
  
"Ooh, gold." Joey smirked. "Now, we're onto something. Can I see it?"  
  
"I don't know. Do you have fully functioning eyes?" Ai retorted.  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
"Then yes, you should be physically capable of seeing it."  
  
Joey sweatdropped. "Stupid nitpicky computer grammar.... I mean, MAY I see it?" He rolled his eyes.  
  
"You're asking me to breach the trust he placed in me." Ai reminded him seriously. "And he's the sort that doesn't trust easily."  
  
"You're a computer program. He'd trust you anyway." Joey argued.  
  
"This could be easily construed as a compromising of security, and I could sound the alarm." Ai warned, the menace in her voice unmistakable.  
  
"What? Now THAT is pushing it....." Joey rolled his eyes. Honestly, how was this getting through security, if she agreed?  
  
"I'm not going to let you hurt him." Ai stated. It was the sort of tone that left Joey feeling like she would have grabbed him by the throat, had she been able. "I don't care if he trusts you around the computer, or if he took you in out of the kindness of his heart. You. Are. NOT. Seeing. It." All the pleasantness was gone. It was eerie, the way she'd gone from sweet and accommodating, if a little sarcastic and overly literal, to cold and deadly.  
  
The voice itself made him shrink back momentarily. After a moment, he regained his resolve. "Look, it's obvious you care about Seto, okay? I understand that. But what you need to understand, is that so do I! All I'm trying to do is help, and you're just shoving me away like scum. He needs somebody besides a computer program; nobody can live with a machine as their only friend. If you'd just LET me, I'd be that someone else." He narrowed his eyes at the monitor. "So I'll ask again, will you please show me the damned journal?"  
  
There was a long stretch of silence, and finally, a program came up; a downloaded format from an online journal. "Thank you." Sighing exaggeratedly, Joey set about reading; his homework could wait.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well, the reading was..... enlightening, to say the least. Seto could be surprisingly eloquent when he wanted to be. It was a revealing glimpse into the taller teen's life, and the view wasn't all moonlight and magnolias. The poor guy didn't even try to sound optimistic, even to himself. All the more reason for him to have somebody _human_ to vent to. Still, this wasn't the sort of thing he'd trust someone with straight away, either. Truth be told, he'd be really pissed off if anybody pried into it, like he was doing now....  
  
A shadow fell over him. "And just WHAT do you think you're doing?" Seto demanded, peering over Joey's shoulder at the screen. There was a wooden spoon in his hand--he'd just finished getting dinner ready, and had gone to ferret out Joey and Mokuba--a dark blue, old stain-splattered apron tied onto him, and a dark, ominous scowl on his face. Long story short, Seto was NOT pleased.  
  
There was a small click as the paint window with Ai's picture closed by itself. Joey cringed, looking very much like a puppy caught chewing its owner's brand-new leather shoes. Busted...... 


End file.
